Saiyan Princess
by lilDBZbuddy89
Summary: CLOSELY FOLLOWS THE DBZ STORYLINE and continues where Origins left off. What if Vegeta and Bulma had a child a lot sooner in the series? Read and find out! Follows the DBZ storyline from Hairiyu's POV Possible sequel in progress!
1. Chapter 000 Prologue

**AN:** All I ask is that you save yourself time by making sure you've read the story description before you start leaving comments ;) I have even more information on what to expect from this story on my profile.

This is an OC that I have had living in my head for over 10 years. She's been through a fair few character re-designs including appearance and personality, plus her story has changed a lot. This is the result of all those years of grafting. I do not expect everyone to like her; she's not perfect. However I feel confident enough to share her with you all. I hope you enjoy reading about her adventures with the dudes and dudettes that make up the Z fighters.

For anyone who cares, you can also find images of her and these chapters all uploaded on my DA account (see my profile for links)

- LilDBZbuddy89

* * *

**Prologue – Birth of a fighter **

Age 757, 25th May

The walls of the roomy hospital echoed the loud screams and strained groans of one of its patients. Being rich had its quirks; a private room had been designated for the heiress of the Capsule Corporation although now she'd been taken to the delivery room it didn't matter so much. She'd been through a lot over the past year, the current reason for her being in hospital being a big contributor to that!

The hours ticked by, the sun fell and rose over the West City skyline and still the ordeal went on. She'd been here for nearly six hours now; a further two hours had been spent at home and travelling to the hospital with an increasing amount of painful contractions along the way! Now she had been fully dilated for an hour and still no breakthrough!

"Alright Ms. Brief, the baby's almost out now. Give us a strong push!"

Another half hour of hollering and struggling went by before finally, finally the deed was done.

Bulma had given birth.

Dr Brief and his wife were huddled around their exhausted daughter, Mrs Brief gently wiping her daughter's fringe from her eyes. "We're so proud of you honey; I'm telling you now that is the hardest, most painful thing you'll ever have to do in your life! Why do you think we only have one daughter?"

"Mama could you please stop telling me scaremonger stories?" Bulma protested, flinching a little from the stitches and aches her exhausted body had acquired. She reclined back into her pillow and sombrely sighed to herself. "... Anyway it's ok, I can't see me popping out any more of them any time soon. We both know Yamcha's not interested."

"Well you got through it and that's all that matters," Dr Brief smiled from the other side of the room. "I do have one question though dear."

"Yeah, what's that?" Bulma tried to sit up, her mother held her down ushering her not to strain herself.

"Well... I can't help but wonder..." Dr Brief folded his arms, "...who the father is? I mean, she doesn't resemble you much at all!"

Bulma flinched at her father's comment. It was true though. If she hadn't seen her child pop out then she would have sworn they'd given her the wrong baby!

"Her skin's different to yours; she's got dark hair," Dr Brief continued, "... and she has a tail!"

"That terrified the nurses and doctor!" Bulma wryly added to herself quietly.

A loud gasp came from Mrs Brief as a thought crossed her mind. "Oh, you know who else had a tail, don't you?"

Bulma was quick off the mark. "It's not Goku's alright! Trust me if it had been I would definitely not be telling you both I don't know who the father is; I'd be panicking about how Chichi would react! Besides he's a married man and I'm not that kind of woman!"

"Now now dear, calm down or you'll wear yourself out," Mrs Brief calmed her daughter. "It just seems so strange that's all! Come to think of it, how did little Goku end up with a tail anyway? It looks so adorable!"

"I don't know..." Bulma sighed feeling rather tired of her mother's constant questioning. She sat back, hair flying up slightly as she let her head drop into her pillow, closing her eyes. She didn't mean to be rude, far from it. Bearing a child was exhausting and she needed to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

"Changing the subject back to our little wonder here," Dr Brief turned back around to his daughter and wife, "do you have any names for her sorted?"

"Oh I forgot I was going to ask you about that!" Mrs Brief lit up, clapping her hands together softly, "I thought of some wonderful names in case you were stuck!"

"It's ok mama, I think I've got one," Bulma opened one eye sharply, knowing full well what her mother was about to suggest. Underwear... the fascination her parents had with the items of clothing baffled her; why she had to be named after such a thing was humiliating! Bulma didn't want to put the burden and shame on her daughter of having a name that resembled underwear like she'd had to. Kids were cruel; she'd be bullied for sure just as Bulma had been during her childhood. No, this child was going to have an unusual name but it wouldn't be anything embarrassing she'd come to resent her mother for!

"What's her name going to be then?" Mrs Brief seemed a little down-heartened but interested.

"... Hairiyu."

Dr Brief perked up. "... Hairiyu, eh? Well now, that's a unique name!"

"It is, isn't it?" Bulma nodded. "I picked it out from a book I've been reading recently. She's such a unique baby – even for our standards! I thought a name like that would suit her, I mean how many other babies have you seen in this ward with tails? Besides she comes from a family who's been part of the Dragonball Gang for years and has helped to wish people back to life, she has a very intelligent mother and grandfather, and her mother is very adventurous and brave! She'll be a good comrade, she'll be clever and she'll show bravery... those are the qualities I'll want to bring out in her. She'll need them!"

"... What do you imagine she'll be doing?" Dr Brief mumbled baffled. "Bravery?"

"Of course, just like Goku and the guys." Bulma smiled, adding an extra thought to her sentence, _'... And with luck, he'll never come back for her. If he does then she really will need those qualities.'_


	2. Chapter 001

**Chapter 001 – Reunion at Kame House**

Age 761

The view below them was beautiful. The jet was surrounded by blue; the sky and the large bulk of water below them. A flock of gulls passed the jet heading in the opposite direction. Hairiyu gazed out of the window, mouth ajar as she took in the scenery around her amazed by what she saw. She'd never been this high above the sea before.

"Hairiyu, can you see that small island on the horizon?" Bulma asked.

"Um... Yeah," Hairiyu spotted it.

"That's where we're headed for," Bulma spoke softly. "That small island is Master Roshi's island."

"Who's he?" Hairiyu asked.

"He's a martial arts expert, or at least he used to be long ago."

Hairiyu's eyes fixated on the small island before them until it disappeared behind the plane. "... Mama, are other friends there?"

"Yep, lots of mama's old friends are going to be there," Bulma nodded, "There's Krillin, Master Roshi, Turtle, Launch and of course Goku!"

"Is Turtle a turtle?" Hairiyu asked.

"That's right, Turtle is a turtle!" Bulma smiled.

"That's a funny name for a turtle!" Hairiyu giggled.

The plane stopped in mid-air and began its final descent vertically, kicking up sand from the beach below. The shudder of the plane told both passengers it had successfully landed and Bulma shut off the engines. She unstrapped herself and stepped out onto the sand. Hairiyu undid her own seatbelt but hesitated, unsure about whether she wanted to get out of the jet or not...

Bulma made her way around to the other side of the craft, realising her daughter hadn't even opened her door yet. _'... She's getting shy again,'_ Bulma realised; her daughter was always shy around new people.

Bulma glanced through the window briefly before opening the passenger door. Almost as if she knew what was coming, Hairiyu slipped herself off from the passenger seat and stayed close to her mother as she was led towards the pink house's door. What an odd place this was for a house, she thought to herself.

"Yoo-hoo! Hello in there?" Bulma called. "Is anyone home?" Without really waiting for an answer she opened the front door to the house, Hairiyu sticking close behind her mother's leg and clinging to her sock. Cautiously she glanced into the house.

"Bulma!"

A short bald-headed man beamed, walking towards the two females as they walked in.

"It's been too long!"

Another man was inside the house; his sunglasses almost hiding his aged face along with his white brushy moustache and beard. He looked ancient to the four-year-old! "You're pretty cold aren't you? We haven't seen you in five years now!"

"Well I'm here now, isn't that good enough?" Bulma smiled eagerly for one of them to spot the small child behind her. It didn't take too long.

The younger bald man spotted Hairiyu and their glance met for the briefest of moments before Hairiyu, who was overcome by her bashfulness, fled behind her mother's leg. The bald man's eyes widened and he glanced at her for a further few seconds before finally finding the words.

"Hey Bulma... Who's the small kid behind you?"

The older man also noticed Hairiyu behind Bulma as he diverted his eyes down from Bulma's face to her legs. "... Don't tell me..." He gasped.

Bulma grinned anticipating the two's reaction.

"So you and Yamcha finally got married and had a kid!" Krillin grinned excited.

Bulma faltered but quickly regained herself. They would have to mention Yamcha! "Well You're half right in thinking she's mine but she's not Yamcha's! Don't even remind me of that idiot!"

"She's not Yamcha's?" Master Roshi repeated shocked as if he were suggesting the child being Yamcha's was the only possible explanation and no other possibilities existed! "So you found someone else instead then?"

"This is pretty big news whatever way you look at it!" Krillin spluttered seeming equally as stunned as his master. "So she's your kid? Really, you're not pulling my leg are you?"

"Krillin I saw her pop out from between my legs, she's my daughter," Bulma grumbled.

Hairiyu wasn't sure what the adults were talking about but she knew she was at the centre of it. She continued to hide behind her mother, unsure of whether these strange men were safe or not...

"Hairiyu say hello, don't be shy," Bulma cooed, ushering her daughter in front of her.

The little girl eyed the men timidly, assuming she was safe if her mother was telling her to say hello to them.

"... Hello..." She mumbled averting her eyes down to the wooden floor.

"Hey there, I'm Krillin," the younger bald man stepped forward, "It's nice to meet you Hairiyu."

There was something rather funny about this guy's head; it was so shiny! Hairiyu tried to stop herself from giggling as the sun reflected off of it almost blinding her! Etiquette meant she shouldn't laugh at people she'd just met; her mother'd taught her better than that!

"How old are you, Hairiyu?" Master Roshi asked.

"... Um..." Hairiyu counted her fingers relieved the attention had been taken away from the bald man before her. It took a couple of seconds before she answered, "... I'm four years old."

"Good girl," Bulma patted her on the head.

Master Roshi put one hand to his beard, "Quite a shy one isn't she? Are you sure she's your child Bulma; they didn't get them mixed up at the hospital or anything did they?"

Bulma flared up, "No they didn't!" She yelled. It was bad enough her parents were constantly reminding her of how little the child seemed to resemble her mother; she didn't need it from her friends as well!

"So, if Yamcha's not the father then who is?" Krillin asked.

Bulma glared at the small monk and folded her arms, closing her eyes as she pouted. "We don't talk about him," she answered quietly.

"You mean you split up then?" Krillin mumbled.

"... I don't have one," Hairiyu frowned, eyes still fixated on the floor in embarrassment. "... Did daddy not like me?"

Awkwardness filled the tiny house, Krillin wishing he hadn't asked! How was he supposed to know she wasn't Yamcha's kid and didn't know her dad?

"...Of course he did," Krillin tried to console her, "sometimes mummies and daddies stop loving one another and so they move away from each other; I'm sure your daddy will come and see you one day." He looked up at Bulma and grew concerned when he noticed she was shaking her head.

Master Roshi stepped forwards and took Bulma to the side, "Krillin, see to the child for a moment," he ordered as he took Bulma towards the door.

"Yeah, sure thing," Krillin nodded, feeling a little bit left out and curious as to what the conversation was about. Hairiyu felt a little threatened by the old man and tried to follow them in fear he was taking her mother away from her.

Krillin noticed the girl's movement and caught onto Hairiyu's arm, "Hey it's alright, your mum will be back in a minute; Master Roshi just has to talk to her about something."

Hairiyu anxiously watched as Master Roshi and her mother disappeared outside. She was left with the shiny-headed man. She didn't feel too safe without her mother being with her, even if this man was one of her mother's friends. Hairiyu didn't know him, how did she know she was out of harm's way?

They were gone for too long. Hairiyu was growing increasingly anxious, her tail flickered around from impatience and anxiety.

"So how are your grandparents Hairiyu?" Krillin was trying to make small-talk but he wasn't really sure what to say!

"Nana and grandpa are at home," Hairiyu wearily replied growing ever restless, tail waving in front of Krillin's neck. "... I wanna go to see mama!" She took one step forward; Krillin gently grabbed her shoulder.

"Wait, your mum will be back in a minute Hairiyu," he explained.

"No, I want mama now!" Hairiyu struggled more, tail waving around wildly.

The monk saw it from the corner of his eye, eyes widening in shock as a cold chill ran down his spine. It was enough to make him lose his grip and Hairiyu dashed for the door.  
"Mama!"

She ran out the door and grasped to her mother's leg, interrupting her and Master Roshi's conversation.

"Sorry," Krillin apologised walking out to the doorway, "She slipped outta my grip."

"Not to worry m' boy, we were pretty much done," Master Roshi nodded.

"B-Bulma, how long has she had a tail for?" Krillin asked nervously and with the slightest hint of surprise.

"W-What?" Master Roshi gasped, eyes falling to Hairiyu and spotting the extra limb. "...You're right!"

"She had it when she was born," Bulma replied.

Hairiyu felt rather embarrassed; they were still talking about her! She'd always been used to the attention from her tail though. Everyone everywhere always seemed to find it interesting. She knew she was different. She'd never seen any other children or adults with tails. She'd seen pictures of people in books – none of them had tails...

"You have been keeping her away from the full moon, right?" Master Roshi asked quietly.

"Of course I have," Bulma nodded.

The moon? Why could she not see the full moon? Hairiyu'd always wondered that. She'd seen pictures of a full moon but she'd never seen one with her own eyes. She'd always been sent to bed early so she'd never had the chance.

Before she knew it the adults were walking back into the house; Hairiyu gasped and closely followed her mother.

"So who else is coming today?" Bulma asked. "You can go sit down Hairiyu."

Hairiyu did as her mother told and sat behind the small table, eagerly observing the interior of the house. She could see a turtle in the corner of the room and smiled. It was a big turtle!

"Haven't heard anything from Tenshinhan and Chaozu," Krillin replied. "I take it Yamcha won't be here?"

"Of course not; you think I'd tell him after what he did?" Bulma hissed. "Let's get off the subject, where's Launch?"

"She went chasing Tenshinhan five years ago, we haven't seen or heard from her since!" Krillin replied.

Turtle noticed the small girl was looking over at him and smiled. The response from him startled Hairiyu and she looked away embarrassed.


	3. Chapter 002

**Chapter 002 – Son Goku and the Visitor from Space**

"Heeeeeey!"

The loud noise coming from outside seemed to generate excitement in the three adults inside the house. Curious as to why everyone had begun to make their way towards the door, Hairiyu followed albeit from a safe distance. Through the adults' legs she could see a pair of boots.

Seeking safety from her mother Hairiyu latched herself to her mother's coat and curiously observed the new visitors.

"Hey Goku, who's the kid?" Bulma asked.

"Did you start baby-sitting?" Krillin added.

Hairiyu noticed the small boy in the tall spiky-haired man's arm. The man looked quite muscular but had a gentle and happy smile. Hairiyu'd always thought muscular men were scary and dangerous; this man didn't seem the least bit dangerous to her.

Her attention turned to the small child in his arms. The boy looked like he was as shy around these new people as she felt. His hat almost looked as if it would fall down over his face! His clothes were quite strange too; Hairiyu didn't know why his Chinese-style shirt was so long and wasn't sure if it was actually a dress... but boys didn't wear dresses... Her thoughts trailed.

"W-WHAT?" The high-pitched cries of her mother and the two bald men made Hairiyu jump!  
"Yours as in _YOURS_?" Krillin blurted.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" the man nodded cheerfully, lowering the young boy onto the ground, "It's ok son, say hi."

The small boy smiled shyly and bowed down, "H-Hello, nice to meet you."

"N-Nice to meet you too," The others bowed down.

Bulma looked quickly at Hairiyu; Hairiyu gasped in realisation and hurriedly bowed down alongside them.

"His name's Son Gohan," Goku smiled.

_'Son Gohan?'_ Hairiyu repeated in her mind, still closely observing the young boy and his father.

"G-Gohan honey, how old are you?" Bulma asked.

"I'm this many," Gohan held out his fingers.

"Ah, you're four as well!" Bulma smiled.

"Same age as Hairiyu here," Krillin noted.

For the first time the tall man and small boy focused their attention onto the little girl. Hairiyu glanced down at her feet awkwardly, face reddening.

"Hairiyu?" Goku repeated. "You mean that little girl standing with Bulma? Come to think of it, who's she with?"

"She's my daughter," Bulma replied coolly.

"YOUR _DAUGHTER_?" Goku blurted, taking a startled step back. "B-But... she doesn't look anything like you, Bulma! I thought your children were meant to look like their parents?"

"That's what we thought too," Krillin replied. "The only thing I can see they have in common are the eyes! She even has a tail just like you had!"

Goku looked down at the small child and spotted her tail flickering around. "So she does! Gohan has one too but I guess that's from what Chichi called genetics!" He seemed quite happy he'd remembered such a big word - or at least a word that sounded big to Hairiyu!

"Does that mean that Bulma had a tail when she was born too?" Goku asked.

Bulma pouted offended, "Don't associate me with your strangeness Goku! No I didn't have a tail when I was born; the human race in general do not have tails!"

"Wait a moment! Did you say Gohan has a tail too?" Master Roshi gasped.

The attention went back to the young boy, Hairiyu was relieved. She always felt warm around her face and uncomfortable whenever people were looking at her. She noticed the kanji written on Gohan's strange clothes; she'd never seen that sign before and wondered what it said...

"Hairiyu, dear, Goku's brought along his son; why don't you two go and play?" Bulma suggested.

Her daughter took a small glance over to the young boy who'd also taken to clinging close to his parent's leg. Both seemed a little weary of the other for a moment before Hairiyu finally stepped out and walked over to him.

Gohan slid a little more behind Goku's leg.

Goku glanced down at his son, "It's ok Gohan; I think she just wants to play."

"Do you wanna play?" Hairiyu asked, cocking her head to the side a little as she asked.

Gohan hesitated before giving a small nod, bravely moving out from behind his father and smiling, "Ok!"

The two children ran over towards the sea.

"Aww, I'm glad to see she's actually getting along with someone for once!" Bulma smiled in relief. "Usually she doesn't even talk to other children her age; it was beginning to worry me!"

-

The adults had made themselves comfy near to where the children were playing in the sand. They watched as they continued to catch up with one another.

Both Gohan and Hairiyu could hear the adult's conversation but neither focused on it; they were too occupied making a sand castle! Hairiyu plonked another lump of sand onto the top. "I'm gonna be in charge of this castle," she declared.

Gohan made a confused noise in the back of his throat. "I was making a hill. What can I be in this castle?"

Hairiyu pondered this for a moment. "... You have to be the servant!"

"Aww, but I don't wanna be a servant," Gohan frowned, "I wanna be a great scholar."

"What's that?" Hairiyu asked perplexed.

"It's a person who can help other people," Gohan smiled. "My mother says I should study lots so I can become one!"

"So they're a helper? Ok then, you can be a helper whilst it's my turn to be in charge of the castle," Hairiyu decided.

"Your turn?" Gohan repeated. "When is it my turn?"

"When my turn is finished," Hairiyu replied. "I'm the queen of this castle!"

"That's a big sand castle you have, your highness." A third voice droned.

The slow, aged voice startled both Gohan and Hairiyu; Turtle had come over to see what they'd been doing.

"Y-Yes, it's my castle, it is a big castle just like my house is a big house," Hairiyu wearily nodded.

Gohan approached the turtle cautiously and began to pet him after a moment. "You're a nice turtle," he smiled before turning back to Hairiyu. "You have a big house then?"

"Yeah, my house is the biggest house around!" Hairiyu beamed, attempting to show how large her house was with her arms.

"Wow, I'd like to see how big it is!" Gohan smiled. "I wonder if it's bigger than my house?"

"It is! My house is the biggest house in the whole world!" Hairiyu nodded. "My grandpa and nana live there with my mama and me and all the cats and dogs and birds and dinosaurs!"

"You have pets too?" Gohan repeated. "I don't have any pets. I wish I did but mother won't let us."

"They're not my pets; they are grandpa and nana's pets," Hairiyu explained, cautiously walking towards Turtle and Gohan. "I don't have a turtle though... Will he bite me?"

"No, he's a nice turtle," Gohan shook his head, "he let me pet him! He won't bite you."  
"... Mr Turtle, will you bite me?" Hairiyu asked.

"No, I wouldn't do anything like that," Turtle replied. "Would you two like a ride on my back?"

The sudden cry from behind them made both children turn around. Hairiyu was left totally mystified by the serious look on Gohan's father's face, it seemed a little scary to her. He was saying something about a huge ki signal...

Turtle seemed nervous. "... I think we'd better go back to the others."

Hairiyu and Gohan stopped playing and cautiously made their way back to their respective parent. As they approached, the mention of a powerful ki approaching was made by the tall guy in the orange uniform; the one the adults had referred to as Son Goku. The apparent urgency scared Hairiyu and she clung to her mother's coat for security. What was going on?

Goku's head rocked back as he focused on something up in the sky. Within a matter of seconds, someone appeared in front of the group. Hairiyu watched him cautiously as she hid behind her mother, picking up a strange vibe from him. There was something about him that scared her and it was something other than the fact he was a stranger to her.

"So, we meet at last," the man smiled. His long black hair looked as if it were falling off his head according to Hairiyu; he reminded her of a pineapple! His clothes were rather weird; some sort of armour covered the upper half of his body. His eyes looked cold and evil making the hairs on her neck stand on end.

Hairiyu averted her eyes to the others around her; the one called Krillin seemed to be rather surprised; the old man looked cross.

"I've been looking for you," the man continued, "You look exactly like your father, Kakarrot..."

Kakarrot? What was that supposed to mean? Was one of the people here called Kakarrot, or was it an object? Hairiyu wasn't too sure.

Gohan's father spoke out to the stranger, the conversation going on for some time and Hairiyu slowly losing interest in what was being said. She didn't really understand what was going on but it seemed serious; at one point Bulma's hand rested on the back of Hairiyu's head and pulled her closer to her making Hairiyu lean right against her mother's leg.

"You were supposed to carry out your mission! What has happened to you, Kakarrot?" The man demanded.

Hairiyu noticed movement in the corner of her eye and looked to see Krillin approaching this man. "Listen, I don't know who you are but you're bothering us. Shoo!"

"Krillin, don't get any closer!" Goku yelled.

She didn't see what caused it to happen but the sudden and violent nature of Krillin flying back and crashing through the wall of Kame house made Hairiyu silently scream; the breath hitched in her throat. Now she was scared. This man, whoever he was, appeared to be strong and very aggressive and Hairiyu feared he would do the same to her. She didn't want to be hurt! The fear made her cling to her mother's leg tighter. She wasn't safe.

The other adults now seemed to be occupied with the man's tail. Until today, she'd never seen anyone who had a tail! Now she knew two others and another who used to have one. The thought made her subconsciously wriggle her own tail, having little time to do this before her mother gently held it and hid it from view and making her daughter whimper in pain.

"W-What happened to your tail, Kakarrot? Did they get you in your sleep or something?" He demanded.

"Look, I don't know who this 'Kakarrot' guy you're talking about is!" Goku retaliated. "I don't even know who you are!"

The strange man looked at them sternly, his eyes still fixated on the man in the orange uniform. "Tell me, did you ever suffer a bump to your head?"

"Who are you? Tell me that first!" Goku demanded.

"Fine, although you may wish you'd never asked. I am here to collect you and take you back, Kakarrot. You're no Earthling – you are a Saiyan; a member of the strongest race in the universe! I am Raditz... your older brother!"

Everyone around her seemed completely stunned by the revelation. The old man muttered something Hairiyu couldn't quite pick up; she was too scared to listen to what it was he'd said. Her mother took hold of her hand and held it firmly.

"L-Liar! Take it back!" Goku yelled.

"If Goku's an alien then why is he here?" Master Roshi asked.

The man who called himself Raditz – whatever that was meant to mean – went in to explain that Gohan's father had been sent to Earth to conquer it and kill all the humans living on it. The story made Hairiyu quiver; killing, exploding planets, and deadly aliens! She definitely wanted this man to go away now, he sounded like a monster from a nightmare

The soft sound of wood shifting made her instinctively bolt around defensively, seeing Krillin emerging from the hole in the pink house. At least he wasn't dead like she had assumed. It was a relief.

"...So Goku was originally sent here to kill us?" he asked rubbing the back of his smooth shiny head.

"No! It's not true!" Goku cried, sounding desperate. He didn't want to believe; he refused to accept that this man's stories were true! There was no way they could be true! He could never bring himself to do those things!

"It's clear now that you did suffer a blow to your head," Raditz sneered. "You even lost your tail! Your full potential has gone, Kakarrot! Your power cannot be altered anymore, even in the face of a full moon!"

"What're you talking about? What's so great about having a tail?" Goku asked suspiciously.

"You idiot!" Raditz bellowed. "You really don't know anything do you? Listen carefully Kakarrot, we need you back. Your race needs you back. You see there's this nice planet set up to be taken over by us next but three Saiyans alone aren't enough. Lucky I remembered my weak little brother; you can tilt the scales in our favour... Picture it Kakarrot, the carnage, the bloodshed! Doesn't it get your blood boiling? You crave battle, Kakarrot!"

"No, I won't be a part of it! I'd rather die!" Goku responded in disgust. "I won't kill anyone! I don't care if you're my brother and I don't care if I'm an alien, I'm Son Goku and I'm an Earthling! Get the heck off my planet!"

"You tell him Goku!" Bulma jeered.

"Nature over nurture m'boy! Goku's not just an Earthling - he's the best Earthling I know! Roshi joined in.

"Yeah, he even saved this planet once! Do us a favour and go away!" Krillin added.

A smirk emerged on the man's face, "Now that I cannot do..." He went on to telling some wild story about how his home planet had been destroyed by an asteroid and there'd been only four survivors – including himself and Gohan's father Kakarrot... or was it Goku? "... You should be thankful, Kakarrot – because we were doing _wrong_ as you put it, we are alive!"

"I don't care! If all the Saiyans did was kill others then they paid for their crimes with their lives!" Goku yelled, clenching his fists.

"So you refuse to join us? Fine, have it your way then," Raditz smiled, eyes shifting slightly. "Tell me... those two children... are they your whelps?"


	4. Chapter 003

**Chapter 003 - The Kidnap and the Rescue**

"I guess all miserable Earthlings have tails then." Raditz sneered in amusement.

Hairiyu trembled, clinging ever tighter to her mother and clamping her eyes shut. The fear had almost paralysed her; she didn't want to be here in this situation, she didn't like it one bit! This guy was dangerous and filled her with fear and anxiety. She wanted her mother to make him go away and make her feel safe! She wished she were at home with her grandpa and nana.

"Fine then, if my little brother won't join me then I'll just have to borrow my nephew and niece then."

Bulma's hold once again tightened, Hairiyu clinging to her mother for dear life convinced this was just a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare! She could feel her eyes beginning to sting, could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Worst of all, her mother seemed just as scared as she was.

"One more step and I'll beat you down! Stay away from them!" Gohan's father's voice sounded stern and angry.

What happened next mystified the young girl as she couldn't see; she had heard a deep thumping sound closely followed by the sound of something hitting the sand.

The sounds of Goku's voice crying out in agony scared her further. The bad man had hurt somebody else and soon he would hurt her! She suddenly found her mother's grip had loosened enough for her to turn her head around. Doing so, she saw Gohan was running over towards his fallen father, Krillin's hand stretched out.  
"Daddy!"

Before anyone could do anything to help, Gohan was snatched off his feet by the Saiyan and held up in the air by the back of his shirt, instantly beginning to cry.

"There's one, now the other..." Raditz's evil eyes fell upon Hairiyu and her mother, Hairiyu instantly diving back into the cover of her mother's coat. She hadn't seen him; he didn't know she was here! She wanted him to just go away!

The man began to approach them. Hairiyu bit her lip and began to shake. "Mama I'm scared," she wailed, desperately trying to stay hidden as she clung to her mother's sleeves.

Bulma gulped, fearful of this man and his obvious strength. There would be absolutely nothing she could do; she was no fighter after all! Yet her motherly instincts told her she had to protect her baby from this man at all costs; she would not let him lay a finger on her if she could help it! Her grip stayed firm around her daughter as she bravely and defiantly glared back into the eyes of the evil monster before her.  
Raditz smirked, amused at the foolish woman's actions.

"Either you let go of her or I prize her from your dead corpse."

"Mama..." Hairiyu sobbed, tears of fear streaming down her cheeks.

The world around her just seemed to slip from underneath her feet at the sound of a terrible crack. Through the blurry visions of shapes spinning around and feeling herself falling forwards, Hairiyu saw her mother violently fly ahead of her; horror and dread piercing the young girl's heart and filling her with paralysing shock and terror. Her mother had let go of her and was flying backwards through the air.

It was obvious even to the little girl why her mother flew.

The scene played in slow motion; as Hairiyu's hands and knees hit the sand she saw her mother striking the ground, spinning a couple of times before coming to a halt on the edge of the sea.

"BULMA!" Krillin's voice pierced the silence as he dashed towards the woman.

"MAMA!" Hairiyu screamed hysterically, finally finding her voice had returned. Was she dead? The urgency to see her mother was incredibly overwhelming but before she could even begin to run towards her mother, Raditz had also grabbed her from behind and held her from the back of her blue t-shirt. No, he couldn't do this! She had to go see if her mother was alright, even if she knew she wasn't! She had to be by her side!

"Let me go! You hurt my mama! Let me go!" She demanded in fits of tears, wiggling desperately to get out of his grip somehow.

Raditz seemed to be ignoring her request and Hairiyu felt herself swish around to the right as the tall man turned around.

"Kakarrot, I'll make a deal with you. You have one day to reconsider my offer. I will return here tomorrow and I want you to kill a hundred humans! Pile their bodies here and don't think I won't count!"

"You think Goku is capable of doing something like that?" Master Roshi cried, furious about the development and how powerless he felt.

Raditz didn't sound too bothered by this. "Either he does it or I'll kill the two brats. If he values a hundred lives over the lives of his son and daughter then fine."

Through the floods of tears blurring her vision, Hairiyu saw Gohan's father reaching out from where he lay, unable to get up for some reason and clutching his stomach. He stuttered as he spoke, still struggling to deal with the pain. "You...give me back... my son... How... dare you... hurt my friends... Give them back..."

"Do you still not understand?" Raditz cackled with laughter, "You never had a choice in this brother! You'll be doing the Earthlings a favour anyway; once we finish off on this planet I spoke of we will repeat the process here on Earth;! Tomorrow just gives one hundred of you a head-start! Until tomorrow my foolish brother..."

The ground suddenly began to grow smaller below them as the alien levitated up into the sky, much to Hairiyu's horror. She didn't want to leave her mother! She didn't want to be with this evil aggressive stranger! With all her might she continued to wriggle about desperately trying to break free. Gohan apparently was also desperate to be free as he called out for his father.

The wind suddenly picked up, battering the two children as the man suddenly flew forwards, cackling with laughter as he left the small island which grew smaller and smaller with every passing second. The strength of the wind was terrible; the emotions began to overwhelm her.

Hairiyu felt her vision begin to grow dark, feeling rather light headed and woozy... Her world faded to black.

-

She was awake.

Her eyes were closed but Hairiyu realised she was awake again. When had she fallen asleep?

The sudden recall of what she thought had just happened made her eyes shoot open. She was in a large field and could see mountains in the distance. She didn't recognise her surroundings at all. Had it all been a dream? If it had then how had she ended up in this strange and unfamiliar place?

The sounds of Gohan crying filled the young girl with dread. No it had not been a dream. It was all real. The scary man who'd hurt her mother and her mother's friends did exist and she had the horrible feeling he was still around.

Hairiyu glanced over her right shoulder to see both the wailing boy balling his eyes out as well as the long haired man. The mere sight of him brought the emotions flooding out and Hairiyu also began to cry, screaming loudly for someone to come and rescue the two of them. "You hurt mama! You're mean! Someone help me! Mama! Grandpa! Nana!"

Raditz spun around looking incredibly furious for some reason, scaring the two children into deeper fits of crying. "Will you two shut up?" He bellowed. His efforts only made the two children cry louder; Gohan seemed more unintentional whilst Hairiyu deliberately made more noise! "SILENCE!" Raditz yelled.

"I want my mama back!" Hairiyu protested through streams of hiccups and tears. "You hurt my mama you mean jerk!"

"Daddy!" Gohan cried.

"If you want to live then you will be silent! That means the two of you!" Raditz bellowed, grabbing the two by the back of their shirts once again and tossing them into his small ship, closing the door behind them before they could even turn around to try and escape.

Gohan bashed on the door, calling to be let out. Raditz ignored the two and headed back up the slope, reaching the grassy bank. "Now then, time to find some food on this planet..."

The two children watched as the man disappeared up the slope, both losing faith that he would decide to be nice and let them out. Still Gohan pounded his fists against the thick pink glass of the door, demanding to be let out.

Hairiyu was a little more pessimistic and took to sitting in what appeared to be the seat of the tiny craft, wrapping her arms and tail around her legs as she drew her knees up to her chin, whimpering and sobbing to herself. She had no idea that unconsciously Gohan's ki was rapidly increasing...

It was a while before anything seemed to be happening outside. By now Gohan had also given up and sat huddled next to Hairiyu. "... We're never going to get out of here..." he sniffed.

Hairiyu nodded her head in agreement. "He hurt my mama and your daddy... Do you think he'll hurt us too?"

"I don't know," Gohan gulped. Something caught his eye and he made a small noise in the back of his throat, catching Hairiyu's attention. Before she could ask him what it was, he answered her, "... Daddy?" He got to his feet and ran towards the window, peering through at something that apparently was up in the sky.

Goku's voice barely pierced the small room's thick walls. "Don't worry you guys... Gohan! Daddy's here to save you! Just hold on in there, both of you!"

Gohan smiled, "It is daddy! It's my daddy!" He pointed eagerly to Hairiyu, a wide smile on his face.

Hairiyu leaned forwards, trying to get a view of him through the glass. "Where? Is my mama with him?" She asked, unable to see Goku because he'd already landed on the ground and out of their sight.

"I don't know... I didn't see her," Gohan replied. "I've got to go to daddy!" He climbed onto the seat and leapt forwards feet first, kicking the door. Nothing happened and Gohan landed on his back, hitting his head against the edge of the seat. Instantly he began to ball his eyes out from the knock he'd taken.

"Are you ok?" Hairiyu asked, kneeling down beside him. "I don't think we can break down the door..." She frowned and sighed. She would try too but she was scared she'd hurt herself like Gohan just had!

The sound of cracking relatively close outside to them caught both of their attention, Gohan stopping his crying and sitting up. "... What's that sound?"

"I don't know," Hairiyu mumbled worried that it could be something dangerous.

The sound seemed to go on for quite some time. Every-so-often a flash of light would attract the two children's attentions and they would look out the glass to see beams of light flashing around, or see the sky change colour for a couple of seconds, along hearing explosions and the continuous stream of cracks.

"What's going on out there? Why is no one letting us out of here?" Hairiyu cried in frustration. "I wanna see my mama! I don't want to be stuck here! I don't like it here!"

Another bright flash of light bolted up into the sky; Gohan had been looking at the area it had emerged from. He gasped in horror as he saw an orange figure falling from the sky; it was his dad!

"Oh no! Daddy!" He called leaning up against the door. "Daddy's been hurt!"

Once more his energy began to fluctuate unbeknownst to him and Hairiyu, nor to anyone outside for that matter.

"... Is your daddy ok?" Hairiyu asked out of concern.

"I don't know, I can't see him," Gohan frowned, getting teary-eyed again at how helpless he felt. "I've gotta go see my daddy but I don't know how to get out... There isn't a door handle or anything..."

The inside of their prison began to glow with a bright light from outside once more; the sky and everything around them once again changing colour, the sound of strong gusts of wind rattling the pod's walls, scaring the two as they huddled together. Was the small pod about to cave in around them? What was going on outside?

The light began to fade and Hairiyu glanced out the window. All she could see was sky above and small plumes of dust floating above the top of the crater.

"I think someone just did another one of those light beam things..." she frowned, looking over at Gohan. "Does your daddy do those light beam thingies? Can't he get us out of this?"

"I think he could; he can use those light beam things," Gohan nodded. "My daddy's the strongest person on the planet!"

"Really?" Hairiyu asked intrigued. "Wow, I didn't know that... but he got hurt by the mean guy."

"Yeah... I guess so," Gohan frowned. He went back to worrying about his father. There hadn't been any cracks or signs of energy beams being thrown about; he wondered what was going on...

Goku's scream suddenly pierced through the silence in the small space pod, startling the two children and sending chills down their spines.

The screaming wouldn't stop; it was like listening to nails scratching a chalkboard. Hairiyu flinched and covered her ears, upset by the sound and wanting nothing more than to be at home in her mother's company. She just wanted to be safe with her family, safe with her mother, grandpa and nana around her. She didn't want to be here!

Gohan couldn't stand hearing his father cry out in agony. He wanted to make it stop; he didn't want his father to suffer and die. He didn't want to let anything bad happen if he could help it. He had to get out there and stop his father from screaming. He had to do something! He couldn't take it anymore!

Hairiyu's eyes flashed open at the sound of electricity immediately on her left. Her eyes drifted over to where the sound was coming from, widening in horror.

She had no time to respond as Gohan suddenly leapt up with unbelievable force; the energy released from his body sent a shockwave around him, pushing the defenceless Hairiyu head-first into the chair. As the young boy bolted through the ship's thick exterior and out into freedom, the parts he'd smashed through scattered across the small crater, burying a knocked-out Hairiyu underneath it.


	5. Chapter 004

**Chapter 004 – Abandoned in the Wild**

It dawned on her she was cold. Wherever she was she was cold and breathless. She couldn't breathe! It was almost as if she were underwater!

Hairiyu bolted to a standing position frantically, gasping and breaking the surface of the water she'd been laying in. So she had been submerged after all! She breathed deeply and frequently as if every breath counted, confused as to where the water had come from!

Hairiyu began to rub the water out of her eyes and off her face, looking around to see where she was now. A sudden scream had reached her ears as she'd broken the surface. She thought it had been Gohan she'd heard scream but she wasn't too sure.

Where was she now? Wherever it was it definitely wasn't that small and cramped spaceship she and Gohan had been imprisoned in.

"Who are you? Where's my daddy?"

That certainly was Gohan's voice and he sounded scared, making Hairiyu herself feel scared. Was it that scary man? She opened her eyes and looked around, spotting Gohan.

"Hey, you're here too?" She asked.

Gohan looked at her in confusion. "Do you know where we are?"

Hairiyu shook her head and turned around to view her surroundings. Her eyes fell upon a tall green man, making her scream and stumble back by a few steps, tripping on a submerged rock or something similar and falling backwards into the lake! She frantically moved to a sitting position desperate not to drown, eyes wide in shock! "Who is that?"

This man did not look human, but he looked almost as scary as the other violent one! Who was he?

Gohan began to cry beside her. "Daddy! Daddy, where are you? I'm scared!"

"Where's my mama?" Hairiyu asked out of concern, remembering what had happened earlier on during the day. The emotions began to overwhelm her and she too began to cry, fearing for her mother's life but also for her own. This green man did not look friendly in the least!

"Shut up!" Piccolo yelled loudly, startling the two children further. "Shut up or I'll slit your throats!"

The two children immediately tried to calm themselves down with a considerable amount of effort.

"Good... Now get out of the water; I have something to tell you both!" Piccolo ordered.

Both Gohan and Hairiyu were a little sceptical about the whole thing but neither wanted to make the green man angry again in case he did end up slitting their throats! Obediently the duo made their way out of the lake, doing their best to rinse the water out of their saturated clothes. The tall green warrior followed them out and stood before the two, towering over them.

"Now listen to me." Piccolo ordered as he folded his arms. "Boy – your father is dead."

Gohan gasped in horror; Hairiyu instantly feeling sympathetic towards him... not that she was aware of the concept of sympathy and what it was! His daddy had died? That nice man who'd tried to help them earlier was dead?

"He sacrificed his life to help kill the man who kidnapped you both," Piccolo continued, apparently unfazed by the news. "That's not the end of the story though! Although we defeated the man who kidnapped you, two more of his comrades are on their way; both more powerful than the one we barely managed to defeat! They will arrive in a year's time. We need both of your powers in order to defend the Earth! I shall be the one training you both to use your powers effectively!"

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to one side. "Powers?" She repeated. "What powers?" She looked over at Gohan and frowned; he was trying his best not to cry but was failing miserably at it.

"I'm only guessing that you have the same powers, girl," Piccolo muttered, "whilst we were fighting that man, the boy here showed an extraordinary ability to suddenly unleash a furious bound of energy; if it weren't for him then I'm almost certain none of us would be here right now..."

"Did you do that?" Hairiyu asked Gohan. "I don't remember seeing you do that."

"... I did what?" Gohan sniffed, wiping away a tear with his sleeve. "Y-You're lying! I don't have any powers."

Piccolo smiled sadistically. "You want proof?"

Both Gohan and Hairiyu gasped as the green warrior leaned towards them, grabbing Gohan by his head and pulling him up! Gohan howled in pain and began to flail his arms and legs about, Hairiyu quivering in shock and fear; this man didn't seem any nicer than the one who'd hurt everyone earlier! Her legs had turned to jelly, she couldn't move even if she wanted to!  
"Let go! That hurts!" Gohan wailed, striking Piccolo's wrist with his small fists.

With little effort, Piccolo threw Gohan ahead of him, sending the boy straight towards a large boulder.

Gohan's screams sent chills down Hairiyu's spine as she watched in pure horror. Surely it would only be a matter of time before this green monster killed them both and ate them?

A peculiar glow suddenly surrounded the boy, catching both Piccolo and Hairiyu's attention. It looked as if there was an flash of light being shot forwards by the boy as he travelled inevitably towards the solid surface of the boulder.

There was a brilliant explosion of bright light and strong wind as the area suddenly exploded! Hairiyu found herself being pushed backwards off her feet, crashing onto the ground and rolling across it as the wind pushed her along. She finally stopped and kept herself on the ground, bracing the terrific force the sudden and unexpected blast had caused, terrified the Earth was exploding around her.

The wind died down and the blinding light died down until it was normal daylight once more. Hairiyu realised she was able to sit up and did so.

The sight ahead of her made her gasp as the breath in her throat stopped itself from moving momentarily.

The large boulder she'd seen there just seconds ago was completely gone! Instead, there was an indent in the ground, smoke and dust rising off the scorched ground. In front of it and at the centre of the line sat a baffled and bewildered Gohan.

It took a while for any thought to register in her mind.

"... Wow..." she managed to speak out, incredibly fearful of this boy all of a sudden! If he was capable of doing such things as the green man claimed then she wasn't sure if she wanted to be his friend in case he used that power against her!

Piccolo approached Gohan. "It begins to become clear to you, doesn't it boy? My training will mean you will be able to control that kind of power at will. It'll be far tougher than anything you would have ever faced but you have no choice; the Saiyans are due in one year so you'll be starting right away! Your father will be joining us when the others decide to wish him back to life with the use of the Dragonballs. I'm sure your father has told you of them..."

Gohan got to his feet and wiped the dust off his clothes as best as he could. "... But I don't wanna be a fighter." He frowned. "I wanna be a great scholar."

"Be whatever you want- after the Saiyans are taken care of!" Piccolo barked back.

"What about her?" Gohan asked. "Does she have powers too?"

Hairiyu had gotten to her feet and was beginning to walk over towards the other two, still bewildered and stunned that Gohan had managed to make a big mess like this! That boulder had completely vanished and he'd made an impact on the ground as if he'd taken a massive spade and dug a section of the surface out! She had no idea what Piccolo and Gohan were talking about due to the proximity between them.

Piccolo glanced over towards Hairiyu briefly, answering Gohan's question. "Although I have not seen them, there is logic to believe she does. According to the man you kidnapped you both, you two are half human and half Saiyan- he revealed your father to be a Saiyan and it would appear normal humans do not have tails. Judging by the similarities between the two of you and the fact you both have tails, which seem to be a trait of those with Saiyan blood, going by your strange abilities I would imagine she too possesses them. Now that's enough talk!"

Hairiyu had heard most of this answer – not that she'd understood it - and by the time it had been finished, she'd arrived by their side. "Wow Gohan, you're really strong! I don't think I've ever done anything like that before!" She gawked in awe. "I can't do anything like that."

"I said that's enough talk!" Piccolo barked, scaring the two children. "Your training with me will commence as of now!"

"Wait... Can't I be trained by my daddy when he comes back?" Gohan asked.

"I don't wanna be trained by you; you threw Gohan!" Hairiyu quivered. "You're scary... and I don't wanna fight."

Piccolo sneered at the two children before him, "Shut-up! I don't care if you don't agree with my methods of training – You've got no choice so get used to it! You two are just a pair of pampered babies too scared and fragile to be of any use to anyone! Only I seem to be suitable to break that nasty little habit of yours. You're being trained by me because it's the only way!"

Both Gohan and Hairiyu frowned in defeat.

She didn't want to fight! Hairiyu hated things like this. She didn't like getting hurt, she didn't want to be in pain. She didn't want to be here, she wanted to be at home!

"First, your training will consist of nothing but surviving here in this harsh wilderness," Piccolo explained. "If after six months I find both of you – or just one of you – still alive then I shall train you in martial arts!"

"S-Survive?" Gohan repeated. "Out here, in the cold?"

"That's not fair!" Hairiyu whined. "There are no houses here! It's cold out here, there's no bed, no bath, no food and no toys!"

"Stop acting like such spoilt brats!" Piccolo snapped. "Do you want me to kill you both now! Just get used to it and live for six months! If when I return I find you both still alive then I shall train you."

With that he turned on his heels and began to walk off.

"No!" Hairiyu wailed as she went to follow him; a menacing glare from Piccolo made her stop rather abruptly as she and Gohan cowered.

"... That reminds me," Piccolo added. "Don't even bother trying to escape this place; it's surrounded by nothing but desert. It makes this place look like paradise." His feet left the ground as he began to ascend up into the sky.

"Wait! Don't leave us here!" Gohan pleaded. "Please don't go; we'll die!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears as Piccolo shot into the distance.

Desperately Gohan and Hairiyu ran after him as fast as they could. Eventually it dawned on them it was no use and both came to a slow stop.

"... He left us," Hairiyu's lip began to quiver. Gohan began to cry and covered his face with his hands.

What were either of them supposed to do? Neither would live through this; they both knew this! It was too much for either of them to handle!

"This is the worst day in my life!" Hairiyu cried. "I wanna go home! I wanna play with my toys! I wanna see my mama! I wanna see grandpa and nana! I don't wanna be here!"  
"I want my mummy and my daddy!" Gohan hiccupped.

It dawned on Hairiyu that Gohan's father was dead. This made her feel even more helpless; Gohan no longer had his daddy. That strong man wasn't there to come and find them. He was something Gohan definitely wasn't going to be getting back.

Would her mama look for them? How would she know where to look? According to stories from her mama and grandparents, the world was a huge place.

The thought brought tears to her eyes. Defeated and tired she squatted down and began to cry.

-

A couple of hours had passed and still the two children sat in the same spot crying their eyes out. It wasn't fair; neither of them were confident they would live through this! Their wails echoed through the canyons and off the tall rock pillars that dotted the area. The sun was beginning to set on the wilderness; soon night would fall and the nocturnal hunters would be out.

A violent shudder of the ground made Hairiyu stop to wipe her tears, adrenaline bolting through her small body. She turned to spot something gigantic before her and Gohan. Her entire body went cold as the hairs on her back rose. "Guh-Gohan... l-l-look!"

There was a rather large dinosaur eyeing the two up!

With a mighty roar it lunged its head towards them; both Gohan and Hairiyu screamed and bolted onto their feet, the dinosaur missing them with its first attempt and chasing them as they ran away.

"Someone help us!" Gohan screamed as the dinosaur tried again, once again lunging forwards and missing Gohan's tail by inches! The adrenaline was what kept them alive and stopped them from freezing up but both knew they would eventually be caught by this monster, both knew they would be eaten alive by this thing, both knew they would die.

Without warning Gohan stumbled on a rock and fell flat on his face; the dinosaur diving in to snag the boy in its jaws...

Gohan was gone.

The dinosaur had shovelled nothing but rocks into its mouth. Confused it looked around – spotting Hairiyu.

Hairiyu'd stopped to see where Gohan was; she feared he'd been eaten! She was next!

The dinosaur roared and charged at the paralysed girl; Hairiyu too terrified to move. This was it. She was dead.

Something snapped.

Hairiyu screamed out loudly and turned, bolting up at the dinosaur and head-butting it in the chin. She was no longer aware of what was going on around her, lost in a blur of adrenaline and instinct.

The dinosaur fell onto its back with a rather large thud, making the ground shudder slightly from the impact. After struggling it managed to roll onto its front and got onto its hind legs, looking around for the small girl. It couldn't understand how they'd both vanished completely!

There was a large cliff bluff reaching up to the sky beside the large dinosaur. High, high above it, at the top of this large cliff, Hairiyu opened one eye bravely, taken back when she realised her perspective of the area around her had changed. She had no idea where she was but she was alone. Gohan hadn't stood a chance. Knowing he'd been eaten terrified her and brought tears to her eyes. Scared and now alone, she began to cry.

A small wail almost made her scream as she turned around; Gohan! He was alive!

He hadn't been eaten by the dinosaur and was currently beside her on his hands and knees trying to catch his breath back.

"You're not eaten!" Hairiyu cheered happily, hugging the startled boy. "I thought you'd been eaten by the dinosaur!"

"No... I don't know how I didn't get eaten though," Gohan mumbled.

The two calmed themselves down and caught their breath back from the shock.

"Where'd the dinosaur go?" Hairiyu asked quietly.

"I don't know..." Gohan answered. He bravely crawled over to the edge of the cliff and peered down, gasping and cowering back as he realised just how high up they were! "W-We're stuck... We're stuck!" He began to bawl his eyes out once again.

"We are?" Hairiyu gasped, cautiously making her way over to the edge of the cliff. She looked over the edge and gulped; her instincts screamed at her to stay away from the edge and she hurriedly made her way back over to Gohan. "How are we g-gonna get d-down?" She asked tearfully. "It's too h-high up!"

-

The night had long since crept across the heavens above. The stars twinkled in the cloudless skies providing little light to illuminate the ground. The moon was the brightest object in the sky. Down below on a small protruding piece of rock, a wolf howled out across the valley below. The sound of distant footsteps indicated a dinosaur was roaming the night, possibly looking for food or just trying to find a safe place to sleep for the night. High above the ground, the two demi-Saiyans had managed to cry themselves to sleep. Feeling lonely and uncertain, the two had practically slept back-to-back with one another in an attempt to subdue the lonely feeling and also, as Gohan had suggested, to stay as warm as possible.

Unbeknownst to the two children Piccolo hovered in the air nearby for two reasons. One was to meditate and train himself. The other reason: to see how the two would fare when the odds were against them. He would watch and see how they dealt with the harsh reality they were faced with, whether they would be able to conquer their fear and learn to survive was another matter. All he could do was to have faith in his judgement and believe they could do it.

It was going to be a long but interesting six months.


	6. Chapter 005

**Chapter 005 - The Tail of the Full Moon**

The sun was high in the sky above the wilderness. A stampede of dinosaur roamed the flatlands below, weaving through the seemingly endless towering rocks that dotted the ground. Up on one of these rocks, the two children were still no closer to getting down the cliff and were both very hungry!

"This isn't fair..." Gohan frowned. "There isn't even a rope or a ladder for us to use..." He once again backed away from the edge of the cliff and walked back over towards Hairiyu; she was looking pretty upset.

"There isn't even any food up here for us to eat." He added.

Hairiyu looked up and wiped the loose tears from her eyes. "... I wanna go home... I wanna go home and see my mama and my nana and my grandpa..." She brought her knees up to her chin and buried her face within them. "I'm so hungry!"

Nearby Piccolo still hovered in the same place, still meditating. It appeared neither of the two children had spotted him.

He opened one eye and took a quick peek at them, closing his eye with a feeling of frustration. Why were they still there? _'Little brats!'_ He cursed to himself.

"I don't even know if my mama's ok." Hairiyu sighed disheartened.

"She should be ok," Gohan mumbled. "The green guy didn't say she'd gone or anything. Maybe she's fine."

"Maybe..." Hairiyu frowned. "...You've only got your mama left now, right?"

Gohan sighed and looked at the ground, "... My mother and my grandpa too. I hope they're both alright."

"What's your mama like?" Hairiyu asked, trying to ignore her stomach. "Is she pretty?"

"I guess she is," Gohan nodded, "she's strict but really nice. Her food tastes yummy! She makes me do a lot of studying so I can become a great scholar when I grow up."

"A great scholar?" Hairiyu repeated. "Sounds tough."

"Yeah, but it'll be fun," Gohan smiled. "Do you live at home with your mother and father?"

"I live with my mama, grandpa and nana. I don't know who my daddy is but we live in a huge house in a big city," Hairiyu explained. "It's a really huge house! Bigger than any house you've ever seen!"

"Wow, I'd love to see how big your house is one day!" Gohan giggled.

"You could see it but I don't know where we are or how we'd get there," Hairiyu frowned. "If my mama was here she'd get her plane out and fly us there! Fwooo! We'd fly over lots of people's heads! She makes planes and stuff at home!"

"Wow, your mother makes planes?" Gohan blinked impressed. "Oh! I remember now! My dad told me about your mother! Her name's Bulma, isn't it?"

"Yeah! You know my mama's name!" Hairiyu eagerly nodded. "She builds planes and bikes and cars and other things! She owns a company with my grandpa!"

"Capsule Corp, that's it isn't it?" Gohan beamed. "Wow... no wonder your house is so big! I'd love to go see it even more now!"

The night sky had once again fallen on the barren wasteland. The two children had talked for most of the afternoon and had worn themselves out, alongside starving themselves. Neither had come any closer to working out how to get down or where they'd get food. Both slept as best as they could despite it being rather chilly and cold. The cloudless sky seemed particularly bright due to the full moon looming over the land below, illuminating it slightly more than usual. Piccolo still watched over the two.

He was completely unaware of what was to come as Gohan woke.

The situation quickly fell out of hand as Gohan's eyes became fixated on the moon. His tiny body reacted and the same transformation his father had made as a child began! Gohan was transforming!

As Piccolo watched in confusion, Gohan's body began to grow dramatically, clothes shreading as he transformed into the giant oozaru form!

The weight was too much for the sturdy rock to bare; it crumbled and crashed down to the ground, Gohan landing heavily on both feet. Hairiyu - who was still asleep and exhausted through starvation - did not wake. She rolled and bounced across the large piles of rubble, vanishing into a small cluttering of rock.

Gohan began to rampage; Piccolo still flabbergasted and clueless as to what had just happened! A blast from the monkey's mouth struck the distance and erupted, the area reduced to nothing, winds howling ferociously past Piccolo as he did his best to stay in the air! Confusion had almost engulfed him but he'd still managed to keep himself concentrating on what was at hand. He had so many questions about what was currently happening; why had the boy suddenly transformed, what had made him transform, how was he going to stop him?

Gohan roared out once more and began to randomly fire out blasts, bringing more destruction to the area around him. Several explosions rocked the area, chunks of rock collapsed around them as the sky lit up after every attack struck a target.

Piccolo was pushed back up into the sky slightly. He glanced down as he tried to come up with an explanation. "What on Earth could have caused the boy to transform? What happened just be-"

Piccolo gasped and turned around.

"The moon!"

He recalled Raditz had mentioned to Goku and his friends about a Saiyan reaching their full potential in the presence of a full moon. This had to have been the reason why the boy had transformed!

Not wasting another second, Piccolo quickly charged up an attack and fired it off towards the large satellite. "DISAPPEAR!"

A couple of seconds went by before the moon was suddenly bathed in a bright light. A moment later it exploded in a dazzling bright display of light. The sheer force of the explosion quickly reached Earth, battering the area with a terrifying and howling wind.

The giant monkey suddenly stopped as something inside snapped once more. To Piccolo's relief it began to revert in size, finally turning back into Gohan. The boy fell forward onto his face.

It wasn't until after a while that Piccolo finally lowered his guard; there was no sign of the naked child suddenly doing anything so dramatic again; his ki signified he was unconscious. The demon lowered himself down to the ground, landing beside Gohan and examining the damage surrounding them. To think he would be capable of such destructive force... He could have destroyed the whole planet with that kind of power!

Piccolo glanced over to the rock pile that had once been the pillar the two children had been trapped on top of. The girl was somewhere around there, possibly trapped underneath the rubble. As strange as it would be to Piccolo to admit, he was relieved to sense her ki still; the relief meant that his guess of her holding power within her wasn't totally wrong and that what he was doing wasn't a waste of time. He would leave her to free herself if she was trapped.

His attention turned back to the naked boy beside him. "It would seem I have discovered the secret behind your Saiyan powers... It looks as if I was right to remove the moon too; I'd hate to think of what would have happened had the Saiyans been under its influence." Piccolo muttered.

His eyes fixated onto Gohan's tail.

"... I'd better make sure..."

He reached down and grabbed his tail at the base, snapping it off and tossing it to the side. "It seems the tail is a Saiyan's weak-point... Think of it as a gift from me!"

He pointed a finger towards Gohan, firing off a strange beam of light. Within a flash, Gohan was fully clothed in gear matching his father's; a sword beside him. The insignia on his back read 'demon' instead of the 'turtle' insignia Goku's clothes had.

Piccolo turned away and began to walk, recalling the girl was to his left. She too had a tail... Piccolo sighed and wandered over towards the large pile of rocks. With a single blast he cleared some of the rubble away, uncovering the sleeping girl and pulling her out rather violently from the rocks. He grabbed her tail and ripped it out. The demon then dropped her back onto the ground, staring at her for a moment or so. ... Might as well give her some.

Again he pointed a single finger out, changing Hairiyu's clothes to a dark blue fighting suit with pink wristbands, leg warmers and belt. A sword lay at her side.

The demon turned away and walked a few steps before stopping again. "I have my own training to do... As I said, you have six months to learn to fend for yourselves... If when I return you're both still alive then I shall provide you with training from Hell..." A wicked smile appeared on Piccolo's face, "you'll wish you were dead..." With that, he took off into the sky, leaving the two children to sleep.

-

The sun's rays began to rise over the horizon. A cool breeze woke her from her sleep, brushing her fringe across her face. She felt uncomfortable as she woke; since when had she been on her front?

"Hairiyu, wake up! You've gotta see this!"

Hairiyu slowly opened her eyes, squinting in pain when she realised she was facing east and directly at the sun! Just who was making that racket?

"Look! We're on the ground!"

Hairiyu sat herself up and wiped the sleep from her eyes, "... What? I don't wanna get up yet..." She mumbled, now able to see better.

It dawned on her what she was seeing. Flat ground around them, steep rock formations that extended to the sky above them... Her stomach suddenly rumbled, making her flinch in pain.

Gohan frowned; they hadn't eaten in two days now! Still, now they had the opportunity to find some food!

Hairiyu noticed the clothes Gohan wore were different. "Where did you get those from?" She asked, pointing at him.

Gohan blinked and looked down, gasping in shock. "W-Where'd my other clothes go? These aren't mine!" He looked back up at her for an answer, noticing hers were different too. "Hey... you've done it as well!"

Hairiyu gasped and examined her new clothes. "Where are my t-shirt and shorts? My mama is gonna yell at me if I've lost them!" She then noticed the hilt of the sword that lay beside her and instinctively squirmed away from the dangerous object. "W-Why is there a sword here? I don't get it!"

"Someone must have given these to us," Gohan smiled, "I got a sword too! Look, we're even back on the ground! Someone must have saved us and then given us these things to help us!"

Hairiyu picked up on what Gohan had said and looked around. "But... but how did we get down from that big rock?"

"My tail's gone," Gohan frowned.

"It has?" Hairiyu looked down to where his tail would usually be; sure enough it wasn't there! "Where'd it go?"

Subconsciously she reached down for the base of her own tail, gasping in horror when she found it wasn't where it should be! Hairiyu glanced down and screamed. "WHERE'D MY TAIL GO?"

Up above them, Piccolo sat calm as he continued to meditate. He'd been the one to remove their tails. He'd been the one to change their clothes and had provided them with their swords. He'd been the one to have to fend off what Gohan had become last night.  
Despite the noise, the feeling through the ground and the bright lights, Hairiyu'd slept through Gohan's Saiyan transformation. Those couple of minutes had given Piccolo a great deal of insight to the Saiyans and their powers – Goku included. He'd been lucky enough to realise the full moon was the key to the transformation and had destroyed it. As a precaution he'd removed the children's tails – that had been one of the Saiyan's weaknesses after all. He'd done more than enough to help these weaklings – now it was up to them to live.

"What are we gonna do now?" Hairiyu asked. "We can't stay here – the dinosaurs will come back again!"

"Yeah, you're right," Gohan nodded, flinching when his stomach grumbled. "... Maybe we should try to find food."

"Why isn't there a restaurant here or a fridge?" Hairiyu frowned. "I wish I had my mama's capsules; she has one that turns into a small house!"

"Some trees have fruit on them, let's go see if there are any fruit trees around, or a lake," Gohan suggested.

"I wish there were trees which grew cake..." Hairiyu mumbled to herself. "... or cookies or chocolate! Hey, do you think there would be strawberries?"

"Let's go see," Gohan began to walk.

"Ok, I hope we are going the right way."

"Me too; I'm hungry!"

"If we find a lake, what would there be in there? Fish?"

"Yeah, lots of fish hopefully!"

"Eh... I hope it's yummy fish, I don't like a lot of fishes..."


	7. Chapter 006

**Chapter 006 - Piccolo's Training **

Age 762

6 months after Goku's death...

The sun glistened in the water below them. High up on the cliff beside the large lake,two small children were peering down standing dangerously close to the edge. The ground around them began to tremble under the weight of the large tyrannosaurus rex heading straight for them, mouth gaping open as it went in to swallow the two up! At the sound of one close footstep the two children leapt over the edge, cheering out in excitement as they fell towards the large lake below them. Both splashed into the water at the same time; up above the dinosaur hadn't been able to slow down in time and had run off the edge of the cliff after them!

Hairiyu emerged out of the surface and quickly began to swim out of the way of where the dinosaur would land, Gohan doing the same. As they swam the dinosaur crashed into the water behind them, causing the dispelled water to extend out in one gigantic wave.

Both Gohan and Hairiyu were caught by the swell and carried towards the edge of the lake, both cheering out as it carried them across.

The dinosaur emerged from the surface and roared, doing its best to run through the lake towards the two children.

"He doesn't give up easily, does he?" Hairiyu mumbled, peering over her shoulder.

"Nope, he's pretty stubborn," Gohan shook his head.

As the dinosaur neared the edge of the lake, both Gohan and Hairiyu began to run, gaining a nice head-start on the large T-rex as it followed them out of the lake and across the flatlands.

Suddenly, the two children leapt up into the air – the dinosaur crashed straight into the large boulder in front of them! The shock of the hit knocked several loose rocks from the rock-stack.

"Time for another slice!" Gohan smiled, taking his sword out of the hold. He began to descend towards the ground, slicing his sword through the stubby end of the dinosaur's tail and landing on his feet.

Hairiyu landed beside him. "He's not gonna have much of a tail left at this rate!"

"I feel a little bad for him but it'll grow back," Gohan smiled. "That's lunch sorted!"

"At least his tail tastes nice – much better than fish!" Hairiyu grinned drooling.

Up above them in the sky, Piccolo watched over them, a smile on his face. "... Well... it would seem they're still alive..."

-

The morning was misty; the night before had been cold. Luckily for the two children they'd fashioned some covers out of huge leaves they'd collected. The sun was barely coming up above the horizon, much less coming through the cave entrance...

Gohan yawned and began to wake, shivering from the cold morning air. "Why is it so cold?" He begrudgingly climbed out from his covers and walked over to the side; he and Hairiyu had a small stock of berries they'd collected over the past week as they'd become increasingly efficient in collecting their food.

The rustling woke Hairiyu. "... It's too cold and early..." she wailed. "... It's not even day... why are you up?" She asked. "I wanna sleep more."

"Sorry," Gohan apologised.

It was a further ten minutes before the two emerged from their sleeping place.

Neither were expecting to be thrown off their feet by an explosion! The explosion was caused by a bolt of light which had come from above, hitting the ground behind them and erupting!

Hairiyu rose to her hands and knees, looking behind her and Gohan and gasping in horror. "No! The cave!" She cried. The cave was now just a pile of rubble behind them. "The cave's gone!"

"What?" Gohan gasped; it was true.

"Congratulations, you've passed."

The voice came from above; both Gohan and Hairiyu looked up. In the mist, a figure could just be made out. It moved down to the ground landing before them.

"You..." Gohan mumbled. "You're that Piccolo guy!"

Piccolo glared and folded his arms. "You've both managed to stay alive for six months. Now as promised, I'll begin the next part of your training!"

Hairiyu frowned, "... You're lucky we have all of our stocked food on us!"

"That's true," Gohan nodded annoyed. "We might not have had any food left if we hadn't taken some out here!"

"You think I care?" Piccolo barked. "Now unless you want me to kill you right now, I suggest you stay quiet and pay attention! There will be no more discussion about this, do you both understand? Like I said, the next part of the training has begun!"

"The next part?" Gohan repeated.

"You've learnt how to survive in normal circumstances. Now I'll teach you how to survive in battle!"

The night sky had once again fallen over the barren wasteland. Gohan sat up against a rock holding his cheek looking pretty tired and battered. Nearby Hairiyu was nursing one of the cuts on her arms. The two of them sat around a small fire alongside their mentor; Piccolo sitting cross-legged over the other side of the fire. He had to admit he was a little impressed with how they were behaving. It was nothing like how they were six months ago.

"... At least the past six months have taught you two not to be crybabies!"

"It doesn't make it less painful though... You're too strong Mr Piccolo," Hairiyu replied.

"We won't be able to beat you, even with both of us attacking you," Gohan agreed. "... I think we're getting stronger now though."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Hairiyu nodded.

"You still have a long way to go," Piccolo snapped, "don't forget, the Saiyan I and your father fought is nothing compared to the two we're about to face!"

Hairiyu frowned, now feeling a little discouraged. "Maybe we're not strong after all."

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again.

"Hey, can I ask you something Mr Piccolo? ...How do you know training us will be worth it? What if when the Saiyans come we're not strong enough?"

"You'll have to be," Piccolo answered. "I'm running a risk by training you both; for all I know if I hadn't have trained you, I might have become even stronger and been able to defeat these fools! On the other hand... Both of you hold an incredible power within you. My training aims to make sure you can tap into that power at will, making it far more useful to us... When you focus your powers, you both could be far stronger than me."

Both Gohan and Hairiyu looked at him in awe. Piccolo looked away from them and up to the sky.

"... Can I ask you a question Mr Piccolo?" Gohan asked. "Is it true that you fought with my dad?"

"Yes, and we will fight again once we defeat the Saiyans in a year!" Piccolo nodded.

"My dad says you're not as evil as you used to be," Gohan smiled, "My mother and grandfather were sure scared of you though!"

"Oh, you're the guy who tried to take over the world! My mama told me about you!" Hairiyu realised.

Piccolo was growing increasingly angry now. Furiously he spun his head back to face them. "Alright! Go to sleep the pair of you! I will not make tomorrow as easy as today!"

Both Gohan and Hairiyu flinched before doing as they were told, each settling down on the ground and curling up.

"Sorry," Gohan apologised.

"Night Mr Piccolo, night Gohan," Hairiyu mumbled.

"Night," Gohan replied.

The two quickly fell asleep, Piccolo sitting guard beside them both.

Piccolo turned away and glared up at the sky, arms folded and legs crossed. The anger was written all over his face. _'Little brats!'_

-

The wind began to pick up once again, blowing dust across the barren wasteland. The sound of high-pitched strikes echoed through the canyons, startling the animals nearby and forcing them to take cover out of fear. On top of one of the many protruding cliffs in the area, three figures could be seen; two jumping around and moving a lot whilst the tallest seemed to do very little movement.

Gohan charged at Piccolo, kicking out a couple of times; each kick being blocked by Piccolo's hand. Leaping back, Gohan rebounded off the ground and went to punch the demon - Piccolo suddenly vanished from view! Gohan landed on his feet and looked around in confusion.

"Wh-Where'd he go?"

Hairiyu, who'd been watching from the sidelines, looked around for any signs of the demon, unable to see him at all. "He vanished again!" She protested. "That's not fair Mr Piccolo!"

"Deal with it!" Piccolo reappeared, kicking Hairiyu in the back of the head and knocking her forwards. Hairiyu crashed across the ground onto her stomach, skidding a little. She was dazed for a while but she could have sworn she heard Piccolo shout something along the lines of: "Don't let yourself be distracted just because someone's down! Focus!"

Hairiyu slowly got onto her hands and knees, rubbing her sore stomach. "No fair! We can't see you!"

"Stop whining!" Piccolo bellowed. "Don't try to see your opponent – feel their ki! Follow their ki and you'll never lose track of where they are!"

Gohan got to his feet and patted himself down, wiping the dust off his clothes. "... I don't get it... How can we attack you if we can't see you? Anyway, you moved too fast!"

Piccolo had had enough. Angrily he sent out an eyebeam, striking Gohan. Gohan screamed out as he began to sizzle from the intense heat. Piccolo released him from the attack, the boy falling back onto his face.

"No fair!" Hairiyu bellowed. "You said you wouldn't use eye beams!"

Piccolo extended one of his hands, grabbing Hairiyu by the scruff of her shirt before she could react, tossing her up and slamming her back down into the ground! Cracks dispersed from where she hit, the wind knocked from her lungs and ribs throbbing with pain. She felt as if she'd been hit by a truck!

"If you've got time to complain, you've got time to act!" Piccolo snapped back. "Remember, we've got six more months until the Saiyans arrive. Nothing will be fair in battle so you've got to have your wits about you!"

-

The months slowly dragged on by. Every day the two children were woken at the crack of dawn, forced to train all day with Piccolo, beaten to a pulp and then sent to sleep. Their progress continued, their power slowly increased and their fighting technique improved. Whether they liked it or not, both Gohan and Hairiyu were becoming fighters in Piccolo's own image.

"... Mr Piccolo, can I ask you something?" Hairiyu asked one night. "I've been wondering this for ages now but ...when Gohan's dad died..."

Both Piccolo and Gohan perked up and looked at her; Gohan frowning slightly.

"... Did my mama die too?" Hairiyu finished. She'd never had the courage to ask Piccolo in case he snapped at her, or in case what she dreaded was confirmed to her.

Piccolo snorted, "She lived. Luckily one of your friends had one of those magical beans on them."

"Magical beans?" Hairiyu repeated, looking over at Gohan who shrugged his shoulders.

Piccolo rolled his eyes; it looked like neither of them had been told about them and he knew little of them as well.

"I'm glad mama's ok," Hairiyu smiled. "She, grandpa and nana are why..." She hesitated.

"Why what?" Gohan asked.

"... Why I'm gonna fight," Hairiyu answered. "My mama got hit by that bad man because she wanted to protect me. Now I get to protect my mama. I don't want her to be hurt again."

"That's a good reason," Gohan smiled. "I wanna make sure that my mother or grandfather don't get hurt either. If daddy really is coming back to life soon then I wanna be able to help him."

Piccolo snorted. "Those are the reasons Goku died in the first place. Protecting others will always get you killed!"

Both Gohan and Hairiyu frowned at Piccolo's harsh words.

"Both of you get to sleep; tomorrow's going to make today look like a walk in the park!" Piccolo ordered. "... By the way, you'll both be getting new clothes tomorrow; yours are both rather torn up."

"Thank you Mr Piccolo," Gohan nodded.

"Can I choose what clothes I want?" Hairiyu asked.

"NO!" Piccolo bellowed making the two jump. "Stop acting so spoilt! You're in my camp now – there's no choice for either of you! You will get what you're given and won't complain, got it?"

"Y-Yes Mr Piccolo."

"Good, now sleep!"


	8. Chapter 007

**Chapter 007 - The Saiyans Arrive**

The darkened sky had thrown the two children off. It had just passed midday, why was it suddenly dark?

"Hey why'd it get dark all of a sudden?" Gohan asked baffled.

"It's not night time," Hairiyu added puzzled.

Piccolo knew what was going on, although neither of the other two knew this. The Dragonballs had been gathered months ago and now Goku was finally being wished back to life. This was bad. According to what Raditz had said the Saiyans shouldn't arrive for another couple of months. Yet why else would Shenron be called forth?

It was closing in on them. The doomsday was closing in.

A couple of days passed.

Training resumed as usual, albeit Piccolo seemed unusually reluctant to go all out or even force them to train. Instead the two were told to get plenty of food down their stomachs when they woke up, then Piccolo allowed them time to 'digest their food'. Since when had he been so caring? Hairiyu wished she'd asked sooner.

A shockwave bolted across the sky just before lunchtime. It hadn't gone unnoticed by the three fighters – or the animals nearby.

"What's going on?" Gohan asked.

"The Saiyans have arrived," Piccolo answered.

Hairiyu's stomach plummeted hearing those words. Sure she'd been trained and prepared for this day but now that it had arrived she couldn't help but feel nervous and a little scared.

A small shockwave hit the trio, a relatively strong gust of wind whisling past them before slowly dying down.

"They've destroyed a city far from here," Piccolo muttered. "Looks like the bloodshed has begun."

Anxiously the three waited for the invaders to make their next move. Hairiyu's heart was thumping madly in her ribs; the day had finally come for her to face the two Saiyans. She didn't know how Gohan was feeling or how Piccolo was feeling but she felt terrified. Two powerful monsters who were meant to be stronger than the man who'd hurt her mother and floored Goku.

It wasn't just this that had her scared. Something else was playing on her mind.

It didn't take long before Piccolo's attention was taken again. He turned his head as he felt the two strong ki begin to move. "The Saiyans are coming for us. Both of you be on your guard!"

"O-Okay," Gohan nodded.

Hairiyu seemed to be preoccupied with something.

"... Mr Piccolo... can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Piccolo muttered.

Hairiyu wasn't sure how to explain how this thought had come to her but she felt a need to ask it. "... The reason Gohan and his daddy and that mean guy had tails was because they were aliens right?"

"That's right," Piccolo nodded. "It seems all Saiyans – and apparently half-Saiyans – are born with tails. That's why you and Gohan had tails."

"... My mama isn't a Saiyan," Hairiyu mumbled, "does that mean my daddy is?"

"I assume so," Piccolo nodded.

"The pineapple-haired guy said there were only four survivors," Gohan had a feeling he knew where Hairiyu was going. "If he and my dad were two of them..."

"... then doesn't that make one of the two coming today my daddy?" Hairiyu asked.

Piccolo didn't speak for a while.

"...From what that Raditz guy said, there are only four known survivors from when their home planet was destroyed; him and Son Goku included. No doubt one of the two we are about to fight was responsible for your birth... Don't let that stop you from concentrating on the fight! Both Saiyans are set to kill you, rediculous family ties or not! You both saw how Goku's brother treated him; ties to family don't mean anything to them; they are true fighters! Don't get yourselves killed – either of you!"

"Right!" Both Gohan and Hairiyu chanted.

Hairiyu frowned to herself. So that's how it was. She finally knew something about her father's identity but she wasn't sure she wanted to meet him... She had no choice; she'd been trained for this moment for just under a year.

"There are loads of them!" Gohan mumbled. "I thought there was only supposed to be two Saiyans!"

Hairiyu blinked and realised there were several ki converging on them. Her nerves began to kick in – just how many big power levels were on the planet?

Piccolo turned to the right as someone began to descend. Gohan and Hairiyu both spotted him as Krillin landed beside them.

"S-Saiyan!" Gohan cried.

"Hey, long time no see, Piccolo," Krillin smiled.

Hairiyu blinked and squinted at the bald guy. She gasped and realised she did recognise him!

"Hey, I remember you!" Gohan realised. "You're that guy from the turtle hermit's place! You're one of dad's friends!"

"I'm Krillin," the small monk nodded, turning his attention to the two children. "You two have both grown a lot since the last time I saw you!"

"You're small but you're still strong! My dad used to tell me all about you!" Gohan beamed.

Krillin pouted and placed his clenched fists onto his hips. "Small, eh? Figures your dad would lead with small, just because he grew a little!" He leaned in closer to the two of them. "So how was training with Piccolo? I'm amazed you two seem to be as polite as you were a year ago!"

"The training was ok," Hairiyu replied.

"Yeah, it was alright." Gohan smiled. "Mr Piccolo wasn't that bad either; once you get to know him he's not as bad as everyone-"

"The small talk is over!" Piccolo interrupted Gohan. "They're here."

Krillin, Gohan and Hairiyu all looked up into the sky.

Two dark silhouettes hovered high above; the two Saiyans staring back down at them.

Just the sight of them sent chills throughout Hairiyu's body. She watched almost frozen as the two descended and landed before them. The difference in size was crazy! One Saiyan was at least six times the size of her whilst the other was a lot shorter, possibly half the size of the tall Saiyan. The looks in their eyes reminded her so much of Gohan's uncle, terrifying her further.

"Hey, concentrate kiddo," Krillin nudged her, Hairiyu snapping out of her state and taking in a deep breath.

"It seems they've been expecting us," the shorter of the two Saiyans spoke with a cool tone.

Hairiyu glared at both of the enemies intensely. First she looked over the taller Saiyan; he was bald and very beefy with a moustache. His armour reminded her of the same armour the pineapple-haired guy had. He looked scary to her. Then there was the other Saiyan; he was very short compared to his partner. His hair was wild and stood up on end; it reminded Hairiyu of a flame. His stance was unnerving; he seemed quite confident. His armour was slightly different to the other Saiyan's.

"... Voice?" Piccolo asked.

Hairiyu perked up and started listening again.

"Didn't Raditz tell you this device also acts as a communicator?" The shorter Saiyan asked.

"He looks like a Namekian to me," the taller Saiyan added.

"It's not so surprising that Raditz was beaten then."

Raditz? Was that the pineapple-haired guy? Hairiyu was sure she'd heard Piccolo refer to him as that...

"What? A N-Namekian?" Krillin repeated baffled. "Hey, they called you a Namekian? Does that mean you're an alien too?"

An alien? Piccolo was an alien? For some reason Hairiyu found this quite easy to accept – he didn't have tentacles but he was green. She'd never seen any humans or animals who looked like him...

"They say Namekians have strange abilities as well as fighting skills; even magic and sorcery. No doubt it was you who created the Dragonballs," the shorter Saiyan smiled.

Krillin gasped. "You know about the Dragonballs?"

"Why else would we bother with this dump?" The taller Saiyan snorted. "Hand them over! Bring all the Namekians you want; they're just weaklings compared to us!"

How did they know about the Dragonballs? Although she'd never seen a real Dragonball, Hairiyu had been told plenty of stories from her mother's youth of when she and the gang used to collect them. Hairiyu had always wanted to see one for herself and had insisted one day she too would go on a Dragonball hunt with her mother. Her mother had always said to her 'when you're older'... that day hadn't come so far!

"... You know, I ought to be thanking you guys." Piccolo's voice brought Hairiyu back to reality; she made a note that she was zoning out too much! "Now I have a much greater insight into my ancestry. However, it wasn't me who created the Dragonballs. I'm a fighter and I'll quite happily prove it to you! Now who's a weakling?"

"Someone's raring to go. Don't be so willing to die. If you hand over the Dragonballs now, we might just spare you." The shorter Saiyan spoke.

"Yeah right, we're not handing the Dragonballs over so easily!" Krillin spat.

The shorter Saiyan sighed and shook his head. "... Alright then, have it your way." He turned his head to glance over to his partner. "How many Saibamen seeds have we got left, Nappa? Perhaps these fools can entertain us for a little while to prove their worth."

The taller Saiyan dug into his armour and pulled out what looked like a small capsule. "... Looks like there are six left."

"Plant them," the other ordered. "We'll see just how tough these Earthlings are."

Nappa smiled sadistically. "You like to play games, don't you Vegeta?"

_'So the taller guy is Nappa and the shorter guy is Vegeta,'_ Hairiyu noted to herself, watching in confusion as Nappa bent down to the ground. He appeared to be digging up the soil, placing whatever it was he was holding into several holes. He then poured some sort of liquid over the holes.

The soil began to shift making Hairiyu's spine shiver. What was going on now? Whatever was about to appear made her feel worried...

As if by magic, green heads began to break free of the dirt. Strange little monsters began to rise from the ground, screeching at the top of their lungs as they did so.

Krillin gawked at the beings as they stood opposite them. "Gross!"

Hairiyu began to shake, feeling her nerves beginning to get to her.

"Don't let your guards down for a second, got it?" Piccolo barked, making Hairiyu - and Gohan – jump.

"R-Right Mr. Piccolo," Gohan gulped, putting on a brave face and clenching his fists.

Two ki signals bolted through the four warrior's minds, Hairiyu backing into Piccolo for protection as a tall bald man and a small pale person landed beside them. She didn't recognise either of them.

"Tenshinhan and Chaozu!" Krillin smiled.

"Sorry we're late," The taller man apologised. Hairiyu noticed he seemed to have a third eye on his forehead. How on earth had he ended up with a third eye? Was he human? Then again what was the other guy – he looked like a clown! Was he human?

The young girl couldn't help but feel a little less unique amongst these guys; Piccolo was green, there were now a tall-three-eyed man and a clown amongst them, and the man called Krillin had a very shiny head! Somehow having a tail didn't seem so bad now.

"Hey don't worry about it; you haven't missed any of the action." Krillin smiled.

"... Weren't there only meant to be two Saiyans?" The three-eyed man asked.

"Maybe you should complain, Tenshinhan," Krillin smirked. "Those two guys at the back are the Saiyans; I'm not sure what these green things are but they just grew out of the ground!"

"I see," Tenshinhan looked down at the two children either side of Piccolo.

"... So that's Goku's son and Bulma's little girl? I have to admit the boy's the spitting image of Goku when he was little."

Hairiyu perked up and realised the attention was on her and Gohan. Again the blush came to her face as she tried to not make eye-contact.

"Their names are Gohan and Hairiyu," Krillin nodded.

"They just keep coming like a swarm of gnats and now they expect us to wait?" The taller Saiyan Nappa snorted.

"Be patient, Nappa," Vegeta smirked. "There's six of them now and six Saibamen. Maybe we ought to make a game out of this? They could all take on one Saibaman at a time."

"A game? Don't be absurd! Fight us for real!" Piccolo bellowed. No matter whom he was angry at, it always made Hairiyu cower when he yelled at someone.

"C-Calm down, not everyone's here yet!" Krillin tried to cool Piccolo's temper off. "Goku's not here yet, remember?"

Again a ki signal caught the group's attention. Hairiyu felt like maybe she recognised this one.

Yamcha appeared up above and landed. "Sorry I'm late," he greeted the others.

Hairiyu wasn't sure whether to be happy to see Yamcha or not. Her mother didn't say too many good things about him and when she did, it was usually followed by something bad! Still at this moment in time she knew she shouldn't be so judgemental. Whether he upset her mother or not was irrelevant – they were all in this together.

"Now there's seven of them Vegeta," Nappa mumbled. "I guess your tournament is out the window now!"

"No matter; one of them will just have to wait their turn," Vegeta didn't seem bothered by any of it, his smirk hadn't wavered and his arms were still folded.

Nappa glared back at the Earthlings opposite. "Alright maggots, which one of you dares to face the Saibamen first?"

Hairiyu almost choked on the lump that appeared in her throat. They were supposed to fight those gross-looking things? She was going to have to fight for real? She was going to have to fight for her life? She was suddenly feeling very unprepared.

"I'll go first," Tenshinhan stepped forward.

Vegeta looked at one of the green monsters, "you go; don't hold anything back." He ordered. The Saibaman nodded and walked out towards Tenshinhan.

The battle began instantly. Hairiyu found she was able to keep up with their movement. The sudden jet of acid caught Gohan off-guard; luckily she'd been standing on the right side of Piccolo and had dodged it. She continued to watch and breathed a sigh of relief when Tenshinhan knocked his opponent down without even taking any damage.

"You did it Tenshinhan!" Chaozu cheered.

"Wow, he's strong," Gohan smiled.

Hairiyu smiled and nodded; yes, Tenshinhan was strong. Very strong.

Apparently the Saiyan called Nappa had not been expecting that result. Vegeta's smirk had faded. Both seemed bothered by the result of the small scuffle.

"... But how?" Nappa asked. "The Saibaman's power is equal to Raditz!"

There it was again; Raditz's name. So these green monsters were supposed to be as strong as the pineapple-haired man who'd kidnapped Hairiyu and Gohan? Her fear of these creatures was reinforced. Hairiyu definitely didn't want to fight one of these things now!

"No matter; it'll just mean more fun for us. It would seem the Earthlings have been preparing for us after all..." Vegeta's smirk reappeared.

The Saibaman began to get back up.

"Tenshinhan – it's getting back up!" Chaozu cried.

In the blink of an eye, the Saibaman was struck by a blast and destroyed, carcass spattered over the ground.

The sudden explosion startled Hairiyu and she stared wide-eyed at the now dead Saibaman... or what remained of it. It was becoming increasingly difficult to hide the distress she was in. The Saibaman was dead. It had taken just one hit. Whatever had hit it, it had only taken one strike... All of the courage and confidence in her abilities were gone. She was going to die.

"... Vegeta, why?" Nappa asked.

"The Earthling had him beaten," Vegeta answered as he folded his arms once again. "The fight was already decided; it would have been a waste of time to continue. I told him to go all out!"

Hairiyu gulped, fearful eyes falling on the shorter Saiyan. So he'd been responsible. The energy she'd felt in that instant was horrendously strong. She felt so weak and insignificant to this fight now. There was nothing she would be able to do. She couldn't do it.

The terror was getting to her as she hid a little more behind Piccolo's leg. Nappa noticed this and smirked. "Hey, how about the little brat hiding behind the Namek be the next challenger?"

Hairiyu's eyes widened, breathing quickening. Now she was dead. Her body shook violently, the emotions conjuring up tears in the five-year-olds eyes.

"Don't be absurd! I'll go before she does! She's just a kid!" Krillin stepped forward.

Hairiyu tensely diverted her eyes to the ground, somehow hoping this would make them forget about her and ask someone else to fight!

"Aww, the little baby's too scared to step up and be a real fighter," Nappa sneered. "How about the other brat instead then?"

"Let me handle this one Krillin," Yamcha stepped forward.

"Why? Listen, I can take these guys." Krillin insisted.

"If I go to fight and something happens, I can still be revived with the Dragonballs; you've already been revived once and we all know the dragon can't grant the same wish twice," Yamcha explained. "Please sit this one out for me Krillin; I promise you'll get your chance. Besides, I'm really anxious to show them what we're all about down here on Earth!"

Krillin seemed to lull over this and sighed with a frown. "Alright, this fight is yours Yamcha," he mumbled.


	9. Chapter 008

**Chapter 008 – Nappa Attacks **

Vegeta smirked, "Well this one's eager," he mused.

"Yeah right!" Nappa chortled, "Eager to die!"

Yamcha stepped forward, as did another Saibaman who'd been nominated by Nappa.

"Good luck Yamcha!" Chaozu called.

Hairiyu gulped; she'd managed to regain some of her composure since the attention had been taken off her. Now she stood nervously waiting to see what her mother's former boyfriend was capable of. Hairiyu'd never seen Yamcha train but had been aware he used to fight alongside her mother's other friends.

Yamcha stopped and faced the green monster in front of him, lowering himself into a defensive stance.

The ex-bandit charged forward at his opponent, practically vanishing from view; the Saibaman doing the same! The disappearance of the two fighters completely took Gohan and Hairiyu by surprise.

"They vanished!" Gohan exclaimed.

"Nonsense! They're just moving at super speed!" Piccolo snapped. "Everyone can see them but you two!"

"Wow, really?" Hairiyu gasped in awe of the others. "How can you see?"

"Don't try to see with your eyes; sense their ki and look for the light their bodies give off," Piccolo instructed. "Don't try to focus on one particular spot; take in your whole surroundings and listen out for them."

The two pint-sized warriors tried to do what Piccolo had told them, unfocused their eyes and listened out for anything, anything at all... not that they were sure what to be listening out for! For a while there was nothing...

"... Hey, I can hear them," Gohan mumbled.

"You can?" Hairiyu frowned, feeling a little inferior and discouraged; she hadn't been able to pick up anything yet!

"Gohan, focus slightly more; you should soon be able to pick up on the light their bodies are emitting," Piccolo ordered. "Hairiyu, stop focusing on other things and focus on the task at hand! If Gohan can do it than so can you!"

"Ok..." Hairiyu gulped, a little upset Piccolo had raised his voice to her. She never had liked being yelled at. She too tried to hear their movement, trying to keep her head free of distractions and other thoughts. It took a while but she finally began to pick up upon the sounds of fists clashing. A small slapping sound slowly began to register in her mind.

Hairiyu gasped as flashes of colour began to appear in her vision.

"I can see them Mr Piccolo!" Gohan smiled, he too had done it.

Hairiyu watched as Yamcha and the Saibaman duelled, each turning the tables on more than one occasion. A bright light from Yamcha's cupped hands ended the fight as the Saibaman was stuck into the ground, something Piccolo would have referred to as a ki attack.

"Alright!" Chaozu cheered with a grin.

"Way to go Yamcha!" Krillin grinned.

Hairiyu smiled. Yamcha was strong too. That was two of the six Saibamen down – then again there were four left. It did look like the seven of them would be able to handle the remaining green men no problem.

"It looks like this time it is you who has underestimated your opponent."

It all happened so fast.

The Saibaman latched onto Yamcha, wrapping its arms and legs around him. Within a couple of powerless seconds its body began to glow white.

There was an ear-piercing explosion accompanied by blinding light. Hairiyu choked and struggled to stand her ground as the thick dust and wind battered her. The distortion of her senses left her clueless as to what had just happened.

Luckily the wind died down pretty quickly.

"... It self-destructed..." Piccolo mumbled shocked.

Hairiyu opened her eyes and looked over to where Yamcha and the Saibaman had been. Her eyes widened in horror.

The carnage was clear.

The ground looked scorched and dry; the grass had been burned away. In the centre of the dent in the ground was Yamcha, on the ground and looking as if he'd taken heavy damage.

He wasn't moving.

She knew why. The reality scared her; her belief that all six Saibamen could be beaten by the seven of them was now severely shaken. Someone had just died. Yamcha had just died.  
Yamcha, her mother's ex-boyfriend, was dead.

"YAMCHA!" Krillin had dashed forward. Hairiyu watched as the bald man stayed by his friend's side, leaning down beside him.

"...Is he... is he?" Gohan asked fearfully.

No one answered him.

For quite a while Krillin seemed to be mumbling to himself; Hairiyu not sure what he was saying. She didn't know how to react. Her first instinct was to scream and run, then to collapse and cry. Piccolo had taught her better. Still it was Yamcha. Her mother would be heartbroken if she ever found out Yamcha had died. Hairiyu's heart sunk.

Krillin slowly got to his feet.

"What a pointless act to do; of course he's dead!" Nappa snapped. "Get over it; you'll all be joining him soon anyway!"

"Calm down Nappa," Vegeta smirked. "Give them time to clear this trash of the battlefield."

Hairiyu'd never seen such a furious look before as Krillin glared over towards the Saiyans.

"How dare you!" he growled in a low, aggressive voice. Quickly glancing over to his friends, Krillin shouted, "You guys stay out of this!" He drew his hands back and began to charge up an energy attack.

"Go ahead runt, knock yourself out!" Nappa spat.

Krillin tossed the energy he'd gathered forward straight for their enemies.

The power behind it scared Hairiyu; she'd be caught up in the blast if that thing went off! She took a couple of steps back, quickly turing on her heels and following Gohan as he too began to back off. She had no idea what was going on until she turned; Krillin's attack had swooped over the top of the Saiyan's heads; the remaining Saibamen jumping out of the way. With a sudden change in form it broke off into six separate energy attacks.

It was a succession of explosions. Each attack appeared to strike its target, engulfing the entire area in light and dust, baffling Hairiyu's senses and sending her into a state of confusion as to what was happening behind her.

The light quickly faded, closely followed by the deep rumbling. It took a lot longer for the dust to even begin to thin out.

"He did it," Tenshinhan smiled, clutching one fist in triumph. "Good job, Krillin!"

"I missed one," Krillin huffed.

Hairiyu opened her eyes and gasped. There was nothing left, save a large cloud of dust that hadn't dispersed yet. There was no sign of any of the enemy.

"Wow," Gohan smiled, "Wow Krillin-"

A high-pitched shriek made Hairiyu jump in horror; she spotted something green heading straight for Gohan. No. Gohan couldn't...!

In an instant, Piccolo held the Saibaman firmly by his arm.

"Die," the demon simply snarled.

With little effort he drove his fist into the defenceless Saibaman's stomach before tossing it up into the air. Piccolo opened his mouth, firing a blast out at the Saibaman, obliterating it in a matter of seconds as the heat melted its flesh leaving nothing left.

Hairiyu's heart thumped in her ribs. That had been too close. She stared in utter horror at the point where she'd seen the Saibaman melt away. She felt so weak and unprepared for all of this!

Gohan had approached his mentor with a smile on his face, "Thank you for saving me."

Piccolo glared at the small boy from the corner of his eye and grunted. "Don't think I did it to save you! Keep your guard up because next time you'd better be prepared to save yourself... besides... I needed a warm up for the great fight that's about to begin."

"I hope it will be a great battle," one of the Saiyan's voices came from within the smoke.

The sound had shocked all the fighters.

Indeed both Saiyans were alive and what's worse, both were unscathed from Krillin's attack!

"They must have taken Krillin's attack head-on," Hairiyu heard Tenshinhan mutter.  
"... No way... I used my full power in that attack... So this is what a Saiyan is?" Krillin was gobsmacked.

Vegeta and Nappa stepped forwards, both covered in dust but both wearing malicious grins on their faces. "You did say you wanted the games to end, right Namek?" Vegeta smirked. "Well now it's time for the real fight to begin."

"... Too strong... they're just too strong!" Hairiyu quivered.

"Hey Vegeta, let me take care of these wimps! I'll kill them all in a flash!"

"Fine, have it your way then," Vegeta replied, his confident smirk unchanging. "Just be sure to not kill the Namek."

Hairiyu gulped nervously; the taller Saiyan was making his way towards them. He was a behemoth; how on earth had he survived Krillin's attack? How had either of them managed to take that head-on without being scathed?

"You fools are gonna regret ever opposing us! You should already know that you're all going to die!" Nappa snarled.

The ground began to tremble underneath their feet as Nappa began to power up, electricity popping around him. From the corner of her eye Hairiyu saw Gohan fall as he lost his balance.

Hairiyu found herself frozen to the ground, unable to take her eyes off the Saiyan. This guy was terrifyingly strong and his fighting ki was rising still! Hairiyu'd never sensed anything like it; it was a horrible evil power, filling her stomach with knots and sending adrenaline pumping through her body. It made her feel sick.

"Gohan, stand up!" Piccolo barked. "Don't let him overwhelm you!"

"R-Right," Gohan responded.

There were cracks beginning to form below his feet as shards of rock and dirt began to float in the air; a white glow beginning to surround the Saiyan as he continued to power up.

"Tenshinhan, my powers aren't working!" Chaozu's voice was barely heard over the howling of the wind. Hairiyu was sure she heard more people talk but was unable to make out what they said.

"He's more powerful than I ever imagined," Piccolo's voice was barely audible.

With a yell, Nappa completed his power-up, his body surrounded by a pale yellow crackle of electricity. "Now... Who wants to be first?" The Saiyan's eyes scanned over his seven opponents, picking out which one he wanted to kill first...

Hairiyu clamped her eyes shut; she knew it was going to be her...

"I chose you!"

She flinched, then grew startled as her eyes snapped open. There'd been a loud clap and a scream. She hurriedly turned and gasped horrified – Tenshinhan's arm had been severed.

"TENSHINHAN!" Chaozu screamed.

Hairiyu felt a lump threatening to choke her; she couldn't look at the amputated limb, it made her feel sick. She could have sworn she could feel something trying to gush up her throat and desperately fought to keep it down.

"Looks like it's over already!" Nappa raised his left hand.

Tenshinhan suddenly jumped up into the air, surprising Hairiyu as he seemed to do it with ease. Surely the pain he would have been in would have floored him – he'd just lost a limb! Yet he continued to fight, taking his other hand and lifting it above him.

In a flash Hairiyu watched as Nappa suddenly appeared behind Tenshinhan and kicked him down to the ground; Tenshinhan crashing to the floor with a large crack.

"Get up Mr. Tenshinhan!" Gohan cried; he sounded just as nervous as Hairiyu was. Her heart thumped wildly in her ribcage. She had to get out of here; she'd be killed if she stayed! Piccolo was wrong! She had no powers, she wouldn't be of any use! She'd only die and that would be it!

Krillin's scream startled the small girl. He'd made a dash forward and been attacked; a strong blast of wind knocked her off her feet forcing her to roll a couple of times head-over-heels before managing to stop herself. She braced as the wind and loose fragments of dirt hit her, quaking and wishing she was with her mother...

It was a while before she even dared to open her eyes.

"Hey, where's Chaozu? Was he caught in the blast?" Krillin's cried from far away.

Hairiyu looked around, spotting Nappa up in the air... Something small was closing in on him.

"Nappa, behind you!" Vegeta barked loudly.

Hairiyu gasped; it was!

Nappa didn't seem to react in time as Chaozu clamped onto his back. Despite his friends yelling at him to get to safety, Chaozu declined and stuck to the big Saiyan's back. Nappa reacted and slammed his back into several cliff faces, injuring Chaozu with every hit.

"Don't take your eyes off of them! Watch them, Gohan!" Piccolo bellowed. "Honour his bravery! He's willing to risk his life in battle! Don't turn away and shame him – keep your eyes on him and acknowledge the sacrifice he is making!"

Hairiyu listened to her mentor's words and watched, finding it hard to believe it. The little warrior was taking a beating and yet he hadn't given up. She had to admit she felt respect for him; her pounding heart began to slow a little.

There was a strange blue grow surrounding his body...

Chaozu's ki ruptured – at the same time, he and the Saiyan were engulfed in the middle of an explosion as the tiny warrior used his remaining life force as a bomb. The deafening roar echoed through the plains, the light from the explosion making it too painful for anyone to look too long at the spot the explosion had occurred. All the Earth's Special Forces looked in horror, wincing from the blinding light in pure shock as they each felt their comrade's ki vanish almost instantly.

"CHAOZU!" Tenshinhan screamed, slamming his clenched fist to the ground.

The smoke began to clear...

"He self-destructed to take out his opponent," Piccolo sneered. "He's earned my respect... This just goes to show you Gohan that size alone doesn't matter – you have to have heart and cunning!"

Heart and cunning? Was that all you had to have to be a fighter? Hairiyu wasn't sure – power seemed to be a big help!

"... No way!" The tone of Krillin's voice filled Hairiyu with dread and she reluctantly looked up to the ball of smoke. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The Saiyan was alive! He looked as if he'd taken no damage – save for the parts of armour that had been destroyed.

"That's impossible!" Krillin gawked, "There isn't even a scratch on him! Chaozu's sacrifice was for nothing?"

"... Damn you," Tenshinhan was shaking with rage. "We can't even bring Chaozu back with the Dragonballs; he's gone for good!"

Hairiyu double-took. So Chaozu couldn't be wished back with the Dragonballs? Yet why could Gohan's dad be wished back? She didn't understand it. That would be a question she'd have to ask her mother... prodiding she could survive this seemingly impossible battle!

Tenshinhan and Nappa had begun to fight again; it looked horrifically one-sided as Nappa slowly wore his opponent down. It felt as if the fear had permanently made a home inside her stomach and Hairiyu began to feel hopelessness. They didn't stand a chance against this brute. She feared everyone around her would end up dying, including herself.

"That's it! I'm going in!" Krillin snapped.

"Wait Krillin – I have an idea!" Piccolo grabbed Krillin by his shirt. Hairiyu looked up at her mentor curiously.

"In a moment, the Saiyan Nappa is going to attack Tenshinhan, when he does his guard will momentarily be down," Piccolo explained. "We use that instance in order to launch a surprise attack on him."

"... I see." Krillin nodded. "Right, I'll follow your lead!"

Piccolo looked down at the two children beside him, "Gohan, Hairiyu; you both have a part in this plan too. Don't be scared of him; just attack!"

"Good plan, I hope for your sakes it works."

Piccolo, Krillin, Gohan and Hairiyu all blinked in unison, all four shocked by the additional input to the conversation. Piccolo turned around to face the Saiyan standing behind them, speechless and shocked.

"Don't look at me..." Vegeta smirked, "... you'll miss your opportunity."

"Such confidence you have... I can't wait to see the look on your face when Son Goku gets here." Piccolo retaliated.

"Oh?" Vegeta perked up, "Goku eh? Who's that supposed to be; your secret weapon?"

Nappa's loud bellow caught their attention.

"NOW!" Piccolo cried.

"Let's go!" Krillin yelled; he and Piccolo suddenly vanishing from view, leaving a terrified Gohan and a shocked Hairiyu on the ground.


	10. Chapter 009

**Chapter 009 - Nappa the Resilient **

"You're mine!" Nappa bellowed as he closed in on Tenshinhan.

Hairiyu blinked in surprise as Piccolo suddenly appeared in midair next to the Saiyan, smacking him with a strong slap across the sky. Krillin was ready; he slammed the Saiyan with his fists sending him down towards the ground – straight for her and Gohan!

The look on the Saiyan's face was terrifying as he grew closer to them. Hairiyu couldn't contain her fear and began to take a couple of steps back. This man had effortlessly survived every attack that had been thrown at him. Two people had already died here; they were just children! What could they do that the adult fighters couldn't?

"GOHAN, HAIRIYU – ATTACK!" Piccolo bellowed down to them at the top of his lungs.

"I-I-I can't! He's j-just too p-powerful!" Gohan trembled; Hairiyu couldn't even muster the words. Her arms trembled as she placed them before herself, trying to aim a shot for Nappa.

Her terror got the better of her, her concentration stifled.

"COWARDS!" Piccolo bellowed.

Within a second, he and Krillin had launched two attacks heading straight for Nappa, neither of which hit as Nappa recovered, easily dodging them both.

Hairiyu screamed as the two beams flew over hers and Gohan's heads. The attacks struck the ground behind them, Hairiyu defending herself as best as she could from the strong gusts of wind. Her knees knocked together as she tried to compose herself.

"Not too bad you little punks, you really surprised me! Too bad your little plan didn't work! Don't expect to get so lucky; I won't let something like that happen again!" Nappa yelled from high in the sky, his attention on Piccolo and Krillin. "...Alright, I'll take care of the Namek first and the midget second! ...Oh wait, I can't kill the Namekian! Consider yourself lucky Namek – we need you alive to tell us about the Dragonballs after all!"

They needed Piccolo alive? Why? Hairiyu didn't understand what Piccolo had to do with the Dragonballs. She recalled the conversation from earlier. The two Saiyans had suggested Piccolo had created the Dragonballs; Piccolo said he hadn't... She was sure she'd heard this story before from her mother...

"KIKOHO!"

Hairiyu had no time to wonder what was going on as a bright flash of light shot straight up for the Saiyan! The entire area became yellow albeit Hairiyu could barely see anymore, blinded by the pure intense light. She felt herself sliding backwards in the strong gales, falling to her knees and trying to keep herself in the same spot. Why was everyone capable of creating such strong attacks? She couldn't believe these were really her mother's friends – they were far stronger and impressive in the flesh and she no longer doubted what her mother had told her!

There was a small but noticeable thud.

Hairiyu turned to face where she'd heard it come from and gasped horrified. "M-Mr Tenshinhan!"

He was down on the ground, his ki dwindling... until it vanished.

"Another one dead..." Nappa smirked.

Hairiyu's head shot up – not again! The Saiyan was still alive!

What was it going to take?

"I wish my daddy was here..." Gohan trembled.

"Where is your daddy?" Hairiyu asked confused. "Why isn't he here?"

Gohan frowned, "I... I don't know... b-but he isn't scared! I know my dad would never run away from anyone, especially big bullies like him!"

Hairiyu looked down at the ground. She'd seen his dad stand up to pineapple-head so there was truth to Gohan's words. She just wished he was here with them.

"Goku! Get here quickly!" Krillin's voice was heard screaming from above them.

Hairiyu frowned empathetic; it looked as if they were all feeling that way...

Krillin and Piccolo had gone from being up in the air to being on the ground. Nappa's scream made Hairiyu jump as he shot straight for them.

"Daddy!" Gohan cried.

"NAPPA! STOP!"

The loud bellow coming from the shorter Saiyan startled Hairiyu and she glanced over to him. What was going on?

"Just hold on a minute..." Vegeta's smirk appeared, "I just want to ask them something. I'm curious. This 'Goku' you guys keep referring to... Surely you don't mean Kakarrot? You're referring to Kakarrot, aren't you?"

"That's right!" Krillin nodded in revulsion.

Vegeta threw his head back in laughter, "You fools! Kakarrot couldn't even defeat his weakling brother Raditz! What chance do you think he'll have against us?"

"You'll see!" Krillin bellowed. "Goku will be back stronger than ever before!"

"Yeah right!" Nappa sneered. "If he's so great and strong then where is he? He's hiding, that's what! The coward won't be here!"

"My dad is not a coward!" Gohan snapped angrily. "He'll come and he'll beat you bullies!"

"Son Goku is not a warrior to be taken lightly," Piccolo warned them with a smirk. "He'll show."

Hairiyu gulped and stayed quiet. She wondered what was about to happen...

Vegeta grinned and unfolded his arms.

"Alright then, you've managed to convince me. We'll postpone the fight for three hours and wait for Kakarrot to show! That should give him plenty of time!"

"WHAT?" Nappa gasped. "Three hours? Vegeta, he's not going to show up! Let me just kill these guys now! I've had to sit still for almost a whole year – I need to kill something! Forget waiting for Kakarrot!"

Catching the others off-guard Nappa charged towards Piccolo and Krillin with a furious yell.

"NAPPA! DO AS I SAY!" Vegeta bellowed angrily. "DO YOU DARE TO DISOBEY ME?"

Hairiyu had never seen the Saiyan react so fast; in a flash he'd stopped his flight and seemed a little intimidated! That wasn't a good sign.

"I-I'm sorry... I guess I just got a little carried away..." Nappa apologised.

Hairiyu's eyes turned back to the shorter Saiyan; he was a lot smaller than the other Saiyan so why was it the bigger Saiyan was scared of him?

"There; you have three hours. For your sakes you'd better hope Kakarrot shows up!" Vegeta smiled at the four.

She couldn't believe it. Was he for real? Had he just given them three hours? Part of her felt relieved; she'd survived this far. she hadn't done anything but she was alive... Maybe it was better that way.

"Hairiyu, come on," Krillin grabbed onto her hand and pulled her away from the Saiyans, following Piccolo and Gohan over to a large rock.

"Why's he just given us three hours, Krillin?" Hairiyu asked.

"He's giving time for Goku to get here," Krillin replied, a serious look on his face.

"So my daddy really has come back? He's alive again?" Gohan beamed happily.

"Whether he's alive or not, he'd better get here soon!" Piccolo snapped. His glare turned more venomous as he looked down at Hairiyu and Gohan. "Don't think I don't remember what happened earlier! You two are a disgrace! The best chance we had of beating that big lummox and you both botch it up!"

Both Gohan and Hairiyu flinched at Piccolo's tone.

"We're sorry." Hairiyu mumbled, eyes down on the ground in front of her, still teary-eyed. She hated being told off like this.

"We were both scared," Gohan added timidly.

"If you're going to get scared then we have no need for either of you!" Piccolo retaliated.

"Aww cut them some slack Piccolo," Krillin intervened. "It's their first fight; this thing is scary enough as it is! I'm impressed the two of them are actually still here! If I'd been in their shoes at their age, I would have legged it long ago!"

"Thanks Krillin," Gohan responded with a small smile.

Hairiyu exhaled quietly; at least someone was encouraging them. It made her feel a little better about herself... yet she knew she should have done more. She should have but her emotions had gotten the better of her - as Piccolo would have put it. She was only five years old; how was she supposed to be able to control her emotions like an adult could? She didn't know how!

-

The minutes went by agonisingly slow. It felt as if time had completely stopped and yet at the same time it felt as if it had gone on forever.

"... I can't take the suspense!" Krillin growled, clenching his fists in frustration. "I just wanna get this over with! Come on Goku, where are you? You know I hate fighting without you!"

Gohan frowned and looked at the grass at his feet. "... Come on dad..."

Hairiyu had sat herself on a raised flat-rock, legs together and head cupped in her hands. Once again she was trying desperately to stop herself from crying; Piccolo would scold her if she did. But how could she not cry? She'd seen three people lose their lives... surely she would be following them?

"... Hey, I've been wondering about this for a while now," Krillin mumbled more to Piccolo than to the two children, although both Gohan and Hairiyu had looked over to the bald fighter.

"I remember a year ago both Gohan and Hairiyu had tails..." Krillin started.

"We lost them," Hairiyu interrupted, "we woke up and they were gone! We got new clothes and a sword though!"

"...Right..." Krillin was temporarily confused. "... Anyway, we know that Gohan had a tail because his father had a tail... I was just wondering how it was that Hairiyu got her tail."

"I see what you mean," Piccolo nodded.

"My tail?" Hairiyu repeated. Then it hit her. She remembered she'd had this conversation with Piccolo earlier! "OH!"

Gohan and Krillin both seemed stunned by her sudden loud cry.

Hairiyu's eyes shot over to the two Saiyans. "One of those men must be my daddy. Mr Piccolo thought so too!"

Krillin blinked in surprise. "... To be honest I'm surprised that you of all people knew where this conversation was going! Was I not subtle enough?"

"Which one do you think he is?" Hairiyu asked the two adults.

"Uh... I'm not really sure kid," Krillin scratched his head, although he had his suspicions. "Well... I guess really it doesn't matter! I was just wondering which one it was, that was all. In the end whichever one he is..."

"...He'll kill us all," Piccolo finished.

Hairiyu frowned, feeling her heart plummet to her feet.

"It'll be ok," Gohan tried to console her, "my dad will be here soon. He'll beat up these bullies and then we can use the Dragonballs to bring everyone back to life!"  
Hairiyu smiled hopeful. "Yeah!"

-

A small bleeping sound came from over where the Saiyans were, catching Hairiyu's attention. The shorter one got to his feet.

"Your three hours is up. Looks like Kakarrot isn't coming after all!" He jeered, dropping what had been sitting on his face to the floor.

"I knew the coward wouldn't show!" Nappa sneered. "That was disappointing but I guess he's got enough sense not to come here! That coward wouldn't dare show his face because he know's he's going to die!"

Hairiyu swallowed the lump in her throat; her body began to shake a little again. Those three hours had gone too fast!

"My dad is not a coward!" Gohan bellowed. "He'll be here!"

"Where is he?" Krillin growled. "I would have hoped Goku would be here by now! I still can't even sense him!"

"Alright! Let's get this over and done with," Nappa sighed, taking off the armour that had been covering the upper half of his trunk, letting it fall to the ground with a loud thud.

"Guess it's now or never then," Krillin smiled wryly putting up his guard. "Man, I don't think I've ever felt so unprepared!"

"We've only got one option left," Piccolo muttered, catching Krillin, Gohan and Hairiyu's attention.

"We do?" Krillin asked in confusion.

"We have to grab his tail; that's the Saiyan's weak spot," Piccolo explained. "If we can manage to grab his tail, his power will drop significantly and he won't be able to defend himself. Now, here's the plan. Krillin, I'm gonna need you to charge him. Don't fight him, just keep his attention. I'll then grab his tail, leaving him wide open. Gohan, Hairiyu; you'll then launch all your power on him."

"W-What?" Hairiyu quivered in horror. "A-Are you sure that'll work, Mr Piccolo?"

"It will," Piccolo nodded.

"Goku always lost his power whenever someone squeezed his tail," Krillin explained.

"Even that Saiyan Raditz fell when Goku grabbed his tail," Piccolo added. "Don't worry; it'll work."

"... We won't run away this time," Gohan gulped, Hairiyu nodding beside him. She was determined not to repeat what she'd done earlier. She didn't want to let Piccolo, Gohan and Krillin down like she had with those who'd died. It was a wish she know would be easier said than done! These Saiyans were still terrifying!

"Be sure that you don't; just believe in your abilities." Piccolo spoke. "If you both concentrate your powers, you could be more powerful than even me."

More powerful than Piccolo? Hairiyu shook this off; it wasn't true.

"Ah, secrets... Well it doesn't matter what you're scheming; you're all going to die no matter what you try!" Nappa's voice roared.

"Fiend!" Krillin sneered back, "Take this!" The short fighter began to run at his titanic opponent, dashing ahead of his comrades.

Both Gohan and Hairiyu gulped and prepared themselves as the plan got underway.

Nappa grinned confidently and put up his guard. "Bring it on little man!"

Hairiyu watched carefully as Krillin suddenly raised both hands, tossing them down and suddenly shooting up into the sky.

It worked – Nappa followed with his eyes startled by Krillin's strange move!

Piccolo dashed off in a flash, appearing behind Nappa and snatching his tail.  
"Now!" He roared. "Gohan, Hairiyu!"

Strangely she felt a sudden surge of aggression flow through her. "Let's go!" Hairiyu cried, running forwards with Gohan, both preparing to fire off energy blasts at the vulnerable Saiyan.

"Fools!"

What happened next shocked everyone!

Piccolo gawked stunned; he'd taken a massive blow to the head from Nappa's elbow.

The sight stopped both children in their tracks. They watched horrified as Piccolo's ki began to waver for a couple of seconds. The tall fighter slouched forwards, stopped only from falling to the ground by Nappa grabbing the back of his shirt.

"W-What happened?" Gohan cried fearfully. "Mr Piccolo!"

What had happened? Hairiyu had no clue! The adults had said this would work – why hadn't it worked?

"What a disappointment," Nappa jeered, holding Piccolo by his chin. "One hit and he's down – he's meant to be one of the stronger fighters on this planet too!" With little effort Nappa slung the Namekian forward; Piccolo striking the ground just feet in front of Gohan and Hairiyu.

"What happened?" Krillin couldn't fathom it out. "The tail was always a Saiyan's weak point! Piccolo had his tail! Why didn't it work?"

Vegeta retaliated. "What kind of fools did you take us for? We eradicated that stupid weakness long ago!"

Eradicated? Hairiyu was confused; what did that mean? Was it bad?

Gohan ran over to Piccolo and tried to wake him up, nudging him with his hands. "Mr Piccolo, please wake up! Piccolo, we need you! Please!"

"Is he...?" Hairiyu asked fearfully. "Please get up Mr Piccolo! Please!"

"Looks like I'll need something else to use as a punching bag for a little while!"

The whimper that came from Gohan made Hairiyu's hair stand on end. Reluctantly she turned to look over at the Saiyan. She quickly began to mimic Gohan's vocal sounds; the Saiyan was heading towards them! Once again, for goodness-knows how many times today, she was struck by fear and unable to move. The Saiyan towered over the two of them.


	11. Chapter 010

**Chapter 010 - Stepping Up **

Hairiyu barely had time to blink before a large force of power barely shot past her. She looked to her left, horrified when she saw Nappa's foot extended and Gohan flying backwards from the hit. He slammed hard into a nearby boulder, falling onto his face.

Hairiyu looked on terrified, eyes transfixed over towards him, "... Go-"

Her world spun stopping the rest of the word from coming out. Something hard hit her cheek. Her balance vanished as did her sense of direction until she struck something solid.

For a moment she had no idea what had happened; all she felt was searing pain in her cheek and shoulder.

Then came the tears. She couldn't help it; it hurt so much! As she rose to a sitting position she noticed Krillin was fighting the Saiyan. Looking to her right she saw Gohan was still face-down. Was he?

Hairiyu almost choked on a sob. She was tired from crying so much, tired from worrying so much, tired from being scared so much...

Gohan had become her best friend over the last year; they'd had to learn how to survive together. They'd both been trained by Piccolo. Hairiyu looked over to where Piccolo lay. Her teacher was down too.

Seeing the people she cared about down didn't sit too well in her stomach. She remembered seeing her mother sprawled out on the sand. She'd never stood a chance and yet she'd defied the odds and tried to protect her daughter. There had been the other fighters; Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Chaozu; they'd never stood a chance and yet they still tried.

Piccolo'd said you had to have a heart and courage... all four of those people had that.

Hairiyu could have that too.

Defying her want to stay on the ground and cry, she got to her feet, wiping the loose tears from her eyes and attempting to calm herself fown. Krillin was charging up what looked like a disc.

That would be a good enough distraction; neither of the two Saiyans were looking in her direction.

She took in a deep breath, trying to suppress the nagging pain in her body and began to focus her ki, just like Piccolo had taught her to do. She held each hand level with her hip, palm spread and facing forwards.

Krillin fired off his attack to the large Saiyan who seemed to just be standing there!

"Nappa – Dodge it!" Vegeta yelled at his comrade.

Hairiyu watched as she continued to power up; she saw Nappa just barely dodge the small disc; it flew a good hundred yards past her and behind. She had no idea what happened to the large rock stack it sliced through!

She had no time to be distracted, she was almost ready...

Nappa tossed a blast towards Krillin. The worn fighter was barely able to dodge but was caught up in the explosion. His ki began to dwindle as he endured searing heat and debris.

Hairiyu had no idea she'd been spotted by the shorter Saiyan. He'd gone to reach for his scouter and began to take her reading.

"Almost there..." Hairiyu groaned; two blue balls of ki appearing in both of her hands. The power-up was beginning to put pressure on the ground below her feet, cracks appearing where she stood. The wind began to pick up slightly, her hair dancing in the gust.

"NAPPA – DON'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN!" Vegeta's voice hit her ears and she looked over to him quickly. She'd been spotted!

"She's got a reading of over two-thousand!"

The taller Saiyan, who had been charging towards Krillin, turned and spotted her. He snorted and began to approach her. "Let's see what you've got, kiddo!"

Hairiyu gulped down the lump in her throat, determined not to bail out now. She had to do it for Piccolo, her mama, everyone who'd died for her! She couldn't let them down anymore!

"Interesting... the kid hasn't done anything up until now and yet she's got a power level that I never would have expected from a human!" Vegeta folded his arms. "... Wait a minute..." He began to study her carefully.

"Bring all you've got!" Nappa jeered.

Hairiyu gritted her teeth; it was all or nothing!

"KENTOKA FLASH!"

With a mighty yell she threw her hands forwards, firing off the blue attack straight for Nappa.

The Saiyan sniggered.

Hairiyu felt her attack hit... shocked when she saw it fly off to the side!

Her blast crashed into a nearby boulder, obliterating it in an instant. The wind from the strike was terrific but for once she found she was able to stay on her feet! Not that it mattered.

Nappa stood unfazed by the display of power. "Not bad for a runt!"

Hairiyu took a step back. Now what? That attack had taken her power from her! She couldn't do anything else!

Nappa jumped forward so fast, all Hairiyu saw was a blur –

There was a bang and a cloud of dust heading straight for her, swallowing Nappa up in the process! Hairiyu gasped and held her breath as she was engulfed, unsure of what had just happened.

"You stupid Namekian punk! You damaged my back!"

Hairiyu could just about see through the smoke. A smile appeared on her face – Piccolo was getting to his feet! He was ok! She breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Don't underestimate us," Piccolo sneered raising one fist at the Saiyan. "We won't go down as easily as you-"

Something made him stop talking.

Then she felt it, something big was coming! Something with a huge ki signal was coming towards them!

"Who is that?" She asked.

"Looks like you two are in trouble," Piccolo jeered at the two Saiyans. "Son Goku is on his way here! I knew that lazy ass would keep us waiting!""

"Daddy's coming; I just know it's him!" Hairiyu turned, smiling again when she saw Gohan was up on his feet.

"Hey Vegeta! What do you think?" Nappa asked. "It's gotta be some kind of a trick! There's no way these guys can sense power levels without some sort of device!"

"Calm down Nappa, we'll find out if there is something coming or not," Vegeta snapped, pressing the thing he'd used earlier to get Hairiyu's reading... He seemed to be shocked. "I don't know who it is but someone is coming, I can't see how this could be Kakarrot though; the power reading's too high!" He turned to face his partner. "You see whoever's coming has a power level of Four-thousand."

Nappa gasped, "F-Four-thousand? There's no way that can be right! No power level on this planet can reach four-thousand!"

"It looks like your partner is getting worried," Piccolo sneered at Nappa.

"Nappa, kill them all! If this power level does belong to Kakarrot then we can't allow him to team up with these guys when he arrives."

"What?" Piccolo gasped in disbelief; the shorter Saiyan had changed his battle-plan quite dramatically.

"What about the Dragonballs?" Nappa asked confused. "Aren't we gonna make our wish?"

"Never mind them; we don't need these ones anyway to get our wish!" Vegeta smiled. "I'd always thought the magical spheres of the Namekians were just a myth but now I see it's more than that. Don't you find it strange that on our journey to locate these Dragonballs, we find a Namekian here? He must be the one who created the Dragonballs on this planet. If that's the case then I can safely conclude that this Namekian is disposable... We can always find another Namekian who can create Dragonballs and planet Namek is loaded with them!"

Nappa grinned as he cottoned onto what Vegeta was saying. "I get it! Yeah, this plan sounds like a lot more fun!" He took a glance back towards Earth's four fighters, resting his eyes upon Piccolo. "Too bad Namek, your use has just expired!"

Hairiyu gasped – they were planning to kill Piccolo? She wouldn't let that happen!

"M-Mr Piccolo, you've got to get out of here!" Gohan cried. "If you die then the Dragonballs on Earth will disappear as well! We need you to stay alive, so go!"

Hairiyu turned to Gohan; so that's how Piccolo was connected to the Dragonballs? She was relieved to see Gohan was alright, just a couple of bruises and cuts but nothing serious.

She turned her attention to Piccolo, "H-He's right Mr Piccolo! You can't die; we need to use the Dragonballs to bring the others back to life!"

Piccolo snorted and smirked, "I appreciate the concern but it's not going to happen! Besides, what would you two plan to do; Krillin's down for the count so it would just be you two against that Saiyan. You should both know as well as I do that none of us can escape this alive!"

"We have to try!" Gohan retaliated. "No matter what, we have to make sure you stay alive!"

"Yeah, we can't let them kill you!" Hairiyu protested.

Nappa burst into loud fits of laughter. "You fools! The Namek isn't going anywhere!"

"Please, leave now!" Gohan asked. "I'll hold him off somehow!"

That seemed like a bad thing to say; Hairiyu noticed the look Nappa was giving Gohan and grew anxious.

"...Hold me off you say? Just for that, you die first."

She had no power left to help Gohan out. Krillin was nearby but he was down. Dread began to swim through her body.

Hairiyu had no idea Nappa's attention had turned back to her. With one swift flex of his foot Nappa charged at Hairiyu-

"NAPPA, DON'T KILL HER!"

Perplexed and taken back, the young girl's attention was turned to the shorter Saiyan; as was Nappa's. The tall Saiyan seemed baffled!

"What?" he demanded, glaring at the terrified girl in front of him, staring down into her horrified face. "Why?"

"... I think I know who she is now." Vegeta muttered. "We want her alive."

"Alive...?" Piccolo muttered suspiciously. Were they onto her? Was it true that one of these two really was her father?

"What's so important about letting her live?" Nappa demanded.

"Look I know it's difficult but try to use that brain of yours for once!" Vegeta rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Try to think back to when we conquered planet Paeli! While you and Raditz headed for Paeli, I headed off to another planet before joining you both."

Nappa seemed to recall what he was talking about and took one more look at the small girl. "I get it... Are you sure she's the one?"

"I find it rather difficult to believe that that brat is just a normal human when she appears to have the same type of power as Kakarrot's brat." Vegeta replied. "When she attacked you earlier she showed a rather impressive amount of power for someone her age. No human could be that powerful at such a young age."

Although none of them could hear him, Krillin could hear what was being said. "... So he's her dad?" he asked quietly, short of breath and struggling to stay conscious. "... Yeah...There is a resemblance... The hair..."

"Fine then, I won't kill the girl," Nappa sighed reluctantly, turning his attention to Gohan instead and grinning. "At least let me take care of Kakarrot's kid!"

Hairiyu had no idea what either of them were talking about. She didn't even have time to register what was going on before Gohan was charged in on by Nappa!

"NO!" Piccolo cried, rushing after the Saiyan.

In a surprisingly bold move, Gohan leapt out and kicked his opponent square in the cheek!

Piccolo barely dodged the soaring Saiyan as he shot backwards into a nearby boulder!

Hairiyu was dumbstruck. First the shock she'd been spared for some reason and now Gohan had been able to knock the big bully back! "... Wow..." she gawked in awe. "Gohan's strong!"

The feeling was short-lived. Nappa appeared from the rubble landing before Gohan and Piccolo. He did not look happy. It was apparent that Gohan's single attack had even dealt some damage as small trickles of blood ran down Nappa's forehead. The sight sent shivers down Hairiyu's spine, reigniting the fear she'd held for him.

"That's it... I'll kill you first, brat!" Nappa snarled, charging up power in one hand.

Gohan was petrified, as were Piccolo and Hairiyu. None of the trio were able to move from their spots around the Saiyan.

In a flash of light, Nappa chucked his hand forward, sending a powerful blast straight for Gohan.

"No!" Hairiyu screamed.

It all happened so fast. Piccolo was there one moment and gone the next, Hairiyu barely saw him move and by the time she realised where he was, there was nothing anyone could do. Horrified she saw her mentor and best friend disappear into the light, enveloped by smoke and a deafening roar. The wind pushed her off her feet, sending her tumbling and crashing onto her face. She was dazed and dizzy for a moment, lungs choked on the thick smoke.

When she regained her balance and managed to get up, the dust was thinning out.

With terrified eyes she looked where the two had been standing. Piccolo was still on his feet; most of his clothing had disintegrated and he'd sustained a lot of wounds. Hairiyu was sure she could smell his burnt flesh from where she stood, it made her feel nauseous and she struggled to keep it down. His arms were stretched out either side of him; he'd taken the brunt of the attack.

To her relief Gohan looked unscathed although he'd been knocked to a sitting position. Even from where she stood Hairiyu could see the shock and horror on his face.

"P-Piccolo?" Gohan barely stammered.

"... Gohan..." Piccolo spluttered through heavy breaths, body almost buckling beneath him. "... Run away... Gohan..."

Piccolo fell forwards.

Hairiyu choked. _'Not Piccolo... Not Piccolo!'_ She refused to believe it! She wouldn't believe it!

"Piccolo!" Gohan wailed, kneeling beside his mentor and rolling him over so he now lay on his back. "Piccolo you've got to get up! We need you Piccolo!"

Nappa snorted, "Darn it; the Namekian got in the way and messed up my killing order! Oh well, I guess in the end it didn't matter; they're all going to die anyway!"

"Oh the shame..." Piccolo exhaled, eyes half opened as he looked at the small boy beside him. "The great Piccolo reducing himself to saving a child..."

"No Piccolo, you can't leave!" Gohan wailed. "You have to hold on until my dad gets here! You have to stay alive, Piccolo!"

"G... Gohan... listen..." Piccolo smiled weakly, "I want to... thank you and Hairiyu... The past year... I was harsh on you both... but neither of you... ever gave up... You suffered but you barely complained... You're the first two people... to ever really talk to me... Before I could even see it... you'd both sunk beneath my skin... and there was nothing I could... do to stop it..."

Tears welled up in Gohan's shimmering dark eyes, "...Piccolo..." he whimpered.

Streams of tears softly rolled down Piccolo's cheeks as he looked at the child. "... Thank you... for being my friends... Make sure neither... of you... die..."

The light vanished leaving an empty black void; Piccolo's ki vanishing from where it should have been.

He was gone.

"No! Piccolo, no!" Gohan cried.

Hairiyu couldn't hold it back anymore and burst into tears, trying her best to stop herself and wiping her soggy cheeks from the tears falling down them. "Not Mr Piccolo too!" She snivelled.

"RYAAAAAAAAAA!"

Gohan's scream caught the sobbing girl's attention and she opened one red eye, both opening in shock as she felt it. His ki had shot up! Wiping the tears in a daze, she watched as Gohan raised his hands above his head, the two facing out level with his forehead. What was he doing...?

"MASENKO!" Gohan bellowed.

Hairiyu buckled backwards, watching in shock. Seeing Gohan like this had sent a strange feeling through her, one that filled her with fear and the need to run away. Whatever had happened to Gohan made her stomach hurt as if something was squeezing it. The sheer pressure of his swollen ki almost threatened to crush her! She'd never sensed anything like this from him!

A yellow bolt of ki flashed in Gohan's palms.

"Two-thousand-five-hundred – and it's still going up!" Vegeta cried in disbelief. The numbers finally stopped rising and settled, "Nappa! It's as we thought; these little brats are able to conceal their true power levels! This one is more powerful than he appears; he has a power level of Two-thousand-eight-hundred!"

"Two-thousand-eight-hundred eh?" Nappa repeated, readying himself for the brunt of the oncoming attack.

"HYAAAA!" Gohan threw his hands ahead of him, palms out, releasing the built-up ki in a powerful yellow jet, coating the entire area in its light.

Nappa smirked and roared, launching out a single punch. In one swing he managed to deflect the yellow beam of energy, knocking it to the side.

The ground was reduced to a burning inferno as the Masenko struck, causing an earth-shaking explosion and knocking away several nearby boulders. The ground shook for a few seconds before settling down.

Hairiyu stood shocked, once more stunned and unable to accept what she'd just seen. He'd knocked Gohan's attack away like it was nothing... he'd done that with everyone's attacks all day! Surely there had to be a limit?

"Hey, not bad kid! That made my arm go numb!" Nappa snorted, clutching to the arm he'd punched with.

Gohan seemed just as shocked as Hairiyu was. He stood desperately trying to catch his breath as Nappa approached him.

She was terrified. "Oh no... Gohan... He's gonna hurt Gohan!" She wanted to go and help but once more fear had kept her to the spot she stood at. Piccolo, Tenshinhan, Yamcha and Chaozu had all died by this Saiyan and his comrade's hand; what could a young little girl like her do against a monster like that?


	12. Chapter 011

**Chapter 011 - Goku Arrives **

Gohan fell to his knees, breathing hard as his body began to demand a chance to recover. "I'm sorry Mr Piccolo... I failed you..."

Nappa sneered as he approached Gohan. "It looks like you used up all of your power. I've gotta hand it to you kid, you did a great job not running away this time!"

_'No...'_ Hairiyu quivered, standing a reasonable distance away from the two as Gohan was approached by the towering Saiyan.

"Well, it's time I finished your miserable life! I can't wait to see the look on Kakarrot's face when he sees his son's head squashed like a bug!"

_'No!'_ She repeated more frantically, still frozen to the spot as her body refused to move.

Nappa raised his foot up above Gohan's head.

_'NO!' _Hairiyu screamed inside, clamping her eyes shut.

There was a loud crack as something struck the ground.

"... What's this?"

Hairiyu opened one eye reluctantly, shocked to find Gohan was gone! Nappa's foot stood firmly on a patch of ground which had cracked under the force. Where was Gohan? She began to hurriedly look around her spotting him behind Nappa on a strange looking cloud.

The bulky Saiyan looked around, eyes finally spotting the boy riding the yellow cloud. "H-Hey, how'd you do that, kid?"

"What is that thing?" Hairiyu asked more to herself than anyone else. "Is that a real cloud? Why's it yellow? How come he's sitting on top of it?" So many questions buzzed around her head.

"It's Goku... he's finally here!" Krillin's voice could barely be heard.

Goku? That was Gohan's dad's name! Hairiyu looked around and spotted him. She tilted her head for the briefest moments and smiled in relief.

"Well if it isn't Kakarrot; we meet at last. We've been expecting you!" Vegeta interrupted; Hairiyu looked over to him. She was growing more and more suspicious of him now. What Piccolo and Krillin had been saying was still buzzing around her head. Which one of these two was her father? The tall guy was incredibly strong and scary. The shorter Saiyan hadn't done much yet but he seemed to be the boss of the two. Plus the taller Saiyan seemed to be scared of him.

Goku's movement took her back out of her thoughts and she watched as he walked over to Piccolo. The reminder he was gone made her feel sad. If only he'd lived for a couple more minutes, maybe he'd have lived long enough for Goku to save him.

"H-He died trying to protect me," Gohan sniffed explaining to his dad. Hairiyu wasn't sure what she'd missed.

Goku stood back up and looked around the surrounding area. Hairiyu assumed he was looking at all the other people who'd died, how would he be feeling seeing so many of his friends dead before him?

"What? Don't tell me you're upset to see all of these weaklings dead? What did you think would happen?" Nappa snorted. "Needless to say they all begged for mercy before I crushed them! Oh and for the record, that little clown-looking shrimp also died! He thought blowing himself up would save the rest of these fools!"

Hairiyu glared angrily at the taller Saiyan. None of them were fools! How dare he say something mean about her mother's friends, about her teacher!

Goku began to approach Nappa.

"What? Don't like facing the truth?" Nappa sneered, "Then how about I show you what you're really up against! HYAA!"

Nappa's fist looked like a blur but then again so did Goku! The Saiyan's attack had missed and Goku was walking Gohan towards Krillin. Hairiyu had no idea how Goku had managed to move so fast; she hadn't seen any of it! _'... He's fast...'_ she mumbled to herself.

"Gohan, Hairiyu, over here," Goku called.

Hairiyu did as she was told and followed Goku and Gohan over to Krillin. He looked pretty torn up; it made Hairiyu feel sad to look at him. She didn't like any of this; why did it have to be this way? Everyone had gotten hurt or worse, strong men had been tossed around as if they were helpless babies. Hairiyu was far younger and far less experienced, even with Piccolo's training. What chance had she or Gohan ever had against these brutes? What had Piccolo seen in them?

"Hey Krillin, how are you feeling?" Goku asked, kneeling down by his friend.

"Not too good," Krillin smiled back weakly.

"Don't worry, I'll fix you right up," Goku reached into his shirt and pulled out a small object Hairiyu didn't recognise. "It's gonna be tricky but I'm gonna break it into three parts so you can all gain back your strength."

"No, you keep it Goku; you'll need it," Krillin shook his head.

"Don't worry, I already had one," Goku smiled. "This one is for you three."

"Trust me Goku, even if we take this senzu bean... we'll just get beaten down again," Krillin insisted.

Senzu bean? Was that tiny thing a senzu bean? What was a senzu bean? Hairiyu didn't understand.

"I don't need this senzu bean," Goku was just as persistent, "if you guys don't take it then I'm gonna throw it away."

"... Well... in that case..." Krillin sighed, "Alright, we'll have it."

"What's a senzu bean?" Hairiyu asked.

"I was wondering the same thing," Gohan replied.

They both watched as Goku fed Krillin part of the tiny bean, then turning to Gohan.

"Take this, Gohan," Goku instructed. "Eat it." He handed a small fragment of the bean to his son before handing the last piece to Hairiyu. "It'll make you feel better."

Hairiyu looked at the small thing she'd been handed. She didn't know if she wanted to eat it, it was a strange colour... Deciding to trust Goku she put it in her mouth, almost retching from the taste! It was awful! Begrudgingly she swallowed the bean as quickly as she could.

Krillin rose to his feet, much to the children's shock.

Gohan gasped, looking himself over. "Hey my power's back!"

Hairiyu was startled to find her body suddenly felt like it was pumping with energy! "I don't hurt anymore!" She exclaimed in surprise. "Was that medicine? It tasted bad so it was wasn't it?"

"It's a senzu bean; eating one restores your energy and body back to normal," Krillin explained, "it also keeps you full for ten days... Then again knowing Goku's appetite..." He turned to face Goku. "Hey, I'm not sure what your plan is but I think it's best if we all attack together; that way we might be lucky enough to take down the big guy!"

Goku looked over towards Nappa with a serious and focused look on his face. "No, I'm going to fight him by myself. You three find a safe spot."

"What?" Krillin gasped in shock.

"Don't do it daddy; that guy's really powerful!" Gohan pleaded fearfully.

After a moment or so, Goku stepped up and began to walk towards the two Saiyans.

"No!" Gohan reached out and started after him; Krillin holding him back. "Krillin let go, my dad needs our help!"

"Don't worry Gohan; your dad's got this all under control," Krillin growled.

Gohan frowned, "but I wanna help."

"Listen you two, we all need to back off and give Goku his space," Krillin ordered. "I've never seen him so angry before; he looks really determined to fight this one alone. Knowing Goku, he's probably got a strategy or a few tricks up his sleeve."

Goku had approached Nappa, both stood before each other.

"So it's finally come down to this. You should have stayed in hiding you fool; now you're gonna have to face the wrath of the Saiyan elites!" Nappa spoke.

"You're going to pay for what you've done! I'll make you pay for every single life you destroyed!" Goku yelled, the ferocity in his voice made Hairiyu shake. Something told her she wouldn't want to be in Nappa's shoes right about now. Goku seemed to be angry; or at least that was Hairiyu's take on it. She watched nervously as he and the taller Saiyan stood off, both making small-talk that she couldn't hear.

Then the ground began to tremble beneath her feet, threatening to throw her off balance. Goku's ki was climbing rapidly, surpassing the magnitude of ki she'd felt from the others in an instant and rising to meet that of the bulky Saiyan.

The ground began to break apart, thousands of tiny fragments of dirt rising up into the air. Hairiyu's jaw dropped; was that really Goku causing all this to happen?

"Come on!" Krillin called to the stunned kids, ushering them to the side.

"W-wow, is that your daddy making the ground shake?" Hairiyu asked as she and Gohan were escorted by Krillin quickly towards a large boulder, both children clinging to the wall for balance.

"I t-think so," Gohan nodded; he seemed as nervous as Hairiyu was, maybe even more so since it was his dad!

Goku's cry stopped, his power finally stopped. The granules of dirt rained down onto the ground around them all.

"Vegeta, what does the scouter say about his power level?" Nappa called over to the other Saiyan.

"... Eight-thousand!" Vegeta had snatched the strange device off his face and crushed it; he didn't look too pleased at all.

'What do all these numbers they keep talking about mean?' Hairiyu wondered, her eyes looking down at the crushed device. She'd never seen anything like it, even in her mama and grandpa's workshop... _'It must be a space-gadget!'_ She concluded.

"That can't be right! Your scouter has to be broken!" Hairiyu missed half of what Nappa had screamed but he seemed to be shocked. Was eight-thousand a big reading? It was a big number! She couldn't help but think to herself, _'Of course it's broken – that man just broke it in his hand!'_

"Don't worry," Goku mumbled, he seemed a lot calmer than before. "I won't use the Kaio-ken on you just yet."

"Use whatever you want!" Nappa bellowed back. "There's no way you can beat an elite fighter like me, Kakarrot!"

The fight had started. Hairiyu saw the blur; it looked like Nappa had hit Goku... yet Nappa had ended up on the ground; Goku standing behind him! What had just happened?

"Wow, dad got him..." Gohan mumbled in disbelief.

"He floored him," Krillin exhaled in awe, eyes wide with surprise. "Goku just floored him with only a single attack!"

Sadly it wasn't permanent.

Nappa twitched and groaned, slowly rising to a kneeling position, tenderly rubbing the throbbing area of the back of his head. "How did he just do that?" He glared over his shoulder; Goku stood to one side glaring back at his opponent. "Listen you dirty little reject; I'm the second strongest Saiyan around! You're no match for an elite like me!"

"Maybe; I'd say you're the third strongest though," Goku replied coolly. "You can't beat me, I know it. Just go back to wherever it is you two came from and no harm will come to you."

"Oh, you 'just know it' do you?" Nappa snarled agitated. "There is no way I'm going to lose to you!"

It all began to go downhill for the Saiyan brute from here-on. Goku continued to strike blow after blow, Nappa making much contact back with the nimble fighter. Hairiyu watched as best as she could, taking in as much movement from both fighters as her eyes would let her. She was in awe of how strong Gohan's father was! Here they'd all been struggling against this brute and now the Saiyan looked like he was losing!

"Hey Krillin, did you see any of my dad's or that guy's movements?" Gohan asked.

"No. It all just looked like a blur to me," Krillin shook his head in shock.

At one point Goku charged in towards Nappa, vanished and ended up standing on top of his head! Hairiyu desperately tried to suppress a laugh, having to cover her mouth with her hand.

Nappa roared and slapped both hands up above his head, Goku suddenly stood in front of him, his fist lodged into Nappa's solar plexus.

The blow had completely caught the Saiyan off-guard.

"That was for Piccolo." Goku spoke, voice sounding sterner than before.

Hairiyu blinked in shock as the tall strong Saiyan fell to his knees; he seemed to be in quite a bit of pain. She still couldn't get her head around Gohan's dad being able to cause this much hurt to the Saiyan!

Nappa went on the attack trying to catch Goku off-guard; the two began to blur again. The rapid movement became one-sided once more as Goku continued to own the fight, announcing one of the deceased's names every time he made a powerful strike; Chaozu, Tenshinhan and Yamcha.

"It's incredible; your dad's got this guy on the ropes," Krillin mumbled.

Nappa dished out everything he could; each feat Goku made just helped to build up the admiration the little girl had for him. Nappa tossed out an energy attack that earlier had beaten Krillin down; Goku took it head on and received no injuries. She'd been sure at the time Gohan's father had been taken down yet he'd emerged unscathed! Within a couple more exchanges, Nappa had been sent into yet another boulder, vanishing under the rubble.

"... Is this a dream?" Krillin mumbled to himself.

Hairiyu wondered the same thing.

Nappa emerged with a bang, screaming at the top of his lungs in frustration. The two began to have a heated discussion.

"Listen, you can't beat me. You waste so much energy in your movements." Goku was heard saying.

"I don't want or need a lecture from a little traitor like you, Kakarrot! I was the head of the elite guards on planet Vegeta! A low-level Saiyan like you is nothing!"

"We'll see."

"Oh you really have no idea you little bastard! I'm going to tear you limb from limb!"

"NAPPA! Calm down!"

Again the shorter Saiyan had interrupted; although not as angry-looking and crazy as the taller Saiyan, the look in his eye gave Hairiyu the chills. Furthermore his smirk had gone.

"Get a hold of yourself!" Vegeta bellowed furiously. "If you keep blowing your top then Kakarrot is going to beat you! Keep your cool and maybe then you won't show such an embarrassing display of fighting! If you keep your head then you can beat him! Now calm down!"

Hairiyu gulped. If that big bully was able to calm himself down, would he really be able to turn the tables on Goku?

"... You're right, Vegeta. I wasn't thinking! Thanks for that!"

The Saiyan now looked a lot calmer, much to Hairiyu's discomfort. Now she was nervous, yet Goku didn't seem to be. Was he really not bothered by the Saiyan?

"Alright then Kakarrot, I may have just gotten a little worked up but now I'm gonna show you what I'm really capable of."

"Sounds good," Goku smiled, "you definitely look calmer now; your fighting skills should get better!"

"It sounds 'good' to you, does it?" Nappa smirked. "I'd be worried if I were you. I can't wait to wipe that smug look of your face."

Hairiyu gulped. She wasn't so sure now that Gohan's dad knew what he was getting himself into. Nappa seemed to be confident, she didn't like that!

She found herself clinging to the cliff wall beside Gohan as Nappa began to power up his ki, the ground shaking once more. Her nerves were beginning to get to her; was this the end? No, it couldn't be! Gohan's daddy had been doing so well; she didn't want them to lose!

"Watch out Goku!" Krillin yelled at the top of his lungs.

The ground before the trio suddenly erupted; it was the same attack that had caught Krillin from rescuing Tenshinhan earlier! Hairiyu could barely contain her scream, although it wasn't heard over the howling wind and explosion. Thankfully the dust and wind cleared.

"Hey, that's the move he used against Tenshinhan!" Krillin's voice made Hairiyu open her eyes; Nappa and Goku were just two blurs up in the sky.

"Oh no! He's going to hurt my daddy!" Gohan wailed in despair.

"... Maybe not," Krillin shook his head. "Goku's dodging most of the attacks but he's blocking some too; it looks like he really has gotten stronger! When Tenshinhan tried to block, that big buffoon managed to cause severe damage to him and Tenshinhan lost an arm; on the other hand your dad doesn't appear to be taking on any damage at all!"

"Is Gohan's daddy stronger than Piccolo?" Hairiyu asked.

"Yeah," Krillin nodded, "Piccolo's no pushover either though; the Saiyan he fought just happened to be that good! Let's just hope that Goku can do what Piccolo and the rest of us couldn't!"


	13. Chapter 012

**Chapter 012 - Escape to Kame House**

Goku and Nappa had suddenly stopped moving, Hairiyu couldn't hear if they were talking. Today had been one big mess; first all of her mama's friends had died one after one by the bigger Saiyan's hand and now this... they actually seemed to have the advantage. The drastic emotional changes she'd been put through today were beginning to take its toll on her, plus the sun was beginning to set. She would need to sleep soon.

A bolt of white light suddenly shot straight out from Nappa, almost at the same time a blue beam came from Goku, creating a large explosion up in the sky. Hairiyu had no time to scream as Krillin grabbed hold of her and Gohan, holding them to him as close as possible, shielding them from the powerful aftermath. Hairiyu held on for dear life, not sure if this was the end or not.

Luckily the wind died down, dust scattered across the ground. Cautiously Krillin released her and Gohan and the three looked up to the sky.

"Whoa!" Hairiyu exclaimed in amazement. Both fighters were still up in the air, neither looked like they were hurt. She wasn't sure whether to feel relief that Gohan's dad was ok or scared that the Saiyan was ok!

"It's incredible!" Krillin gawked. "I've never seen Goku this strong. He might actually beat this barbarian!"

Hairiyu smiled, her hopes beginning to rise. It did seem that way and if it were true, maybe it was possible he could beat the other Saiyan!

"That's enough! Nappa, get down here; you're finished fighting!"

Or not. Hairiyu looked over to Vegeta, now feeling a little disheartened. Was it because Goku was winning?

"You heard me! You've disgraced us enough with that pitiful display of fighting! It looks as if I'm going to have to clean up your mess as usual!" Vegeta snarled irritated.

Nappa reluctantly began to descend to the ground... then his eyes fell on the group below.

"Oh no!" Krillin gasped.

Nappa suddenly charged towards them!

Hairiyu couldn't move, fear was keeping her pinned to the spot alongside Gohan and Krillin. This was it, they were done for! The Saiyan was headed straight for them; his jaw opening up. What was he going to do? What was she going to do? This wasn't fair, she couldn't move, she couldn't flee, she couldn't die here!

It happened in an instant.

Goku stood a few feet away from the group, Nappa held above his head in one hand, the Saiyan twitching every-so-often. What had Goku done and how had he done it so fast?  
Nappa was tossed towards Vegeta, landing with a thump to the ground.

Hairiyu watched; he didn't seem to be attempting to get up. Was it over? Had they won?

"Go home and get him some medical care," Goku ordered, "his fighting days are over!"

"K-Krillin, did you see what just happened?" Gohan asked quivering.

"... I... I have no idea..." Krillin responded slowly. "For one second I saw that Saiyan opening his mouth and then he was down here hanging above your dad's head!"

"I don't understand." Hairiyu mumbled baffled. "Why did that Saiyan go weak when he was fighting Gohan's dad?"

"It wasn't that he became weaker; Goku's just that much better than the Saiyan," Krillin explained, turning his attention back to Goku.

"How did Gohan's dad suddenly get in front of us though?" Hairiyu asked.

"Well Goku, care to tell us how you did it?" Krillin mumbled.

Goku turned around and smiled. "Sure. It's a move I learnt when Kaio was training me in Otherworld; the Kaio-ken."

"Kaio-ken?" Krillin repeated.

"It's a move which amplifies a warrior's capabilities in an instant; speed, strength, the senses; everything becomes that much better!" Goku explained. "It's a pretty handy move and when used properly it can multiply a person's strength depending on the level used!"

Krillin grinned, "You nut, Goku! If you had an attack like that, couldn't you have just used it from the start?"

Hairiyu tilted her head. She didn't really understand what Goku had said but it sounded smart!

Goku chuckled, "I'm afraid it's not that easy. If I make one mistake when trying to activate the Kaio-ken then it can have serious effects on my body and could actually damage me if I don't concentrate enough or execute it correctly. I had to save it in case."

"Really? Wow, that's a bummer," Krillin mumbled.

From out of the corner of her eye, Hairiyu noticed Nappa reaching up to Vegeta. The shorter Saiyan hesitated before taking his hand...

There was a loud scream; Hairiyu's attention fully focused on the Saiyans now – Vegeta had just tossed Nappa up into the air!

"Vegeta!" Nappa cried, able to be heard despite the distance. "What are you doing?"

"What use is a Saiyan who cannot fight?" Vegeta grinned maliciously. "The only use for you now is to die!"

The short Saiyan focused his energy, clenching his fists and charging up. A white aura began to eliminate from his body as he continued to gather energy, expelling a tremendous force of power. Hairiyu fell to her knees, gripping the ground as much as she could.

"What power!" Krillin gawked, shielding himself and clamping his eyes shut as dust flew through the air.

"It's intense," Goku agreed, watching the short Saiyan before them.

A blinding flash of light was released from the Saiyan's body, bolting up towards its target. Hairiyu held onto the ground for dear life, sensing Nappa's ki diminishing almost instantly. The terrific explosion above rocked the entire area scaring her more. She had to hold on; she didn't want to be blown away! Smoke, wind and dust ravaged the ground mercilessly, blowing away boulders and rocks unable to stand the pressure.

Something snatched her away making her scream, though she couldn't hear anything other than the howling wind.

After what felt like an eternity and with the realisation that nothing bad had happened to her, Hairiyu opened her eyes slowly, stunned to find herself high up in the sky. How had she gotten up here?

Gohan was right next to her, both hanging by their belts in one hand.

"I don't believe it... he killed his own teammate!" Krillin gawked in horror.

Hairiyu suddenly felt herself fall, managing to quickly regain herself with her ki and floating beside Gohan and Goku. There was a funny look in Goku's eyes and it unnerved her a little.

"Krillin, take Gohan and Hairiyu back to Kame House," Goku instructed. "This guy's a lot stronger than I first thought."

Gohan gasped and looked up at his father. "Daddy I don't wanna go!"  
Krillin frowned and sighed. "I see..." He looked at Gohan and Hairiyu. "Alright you two, let's get going."

"What? But why?" Gohan wailed.

"Listen, this guy is far stronger than any of us imagined; if we three stayed then we'd be of no help to Goku!" Krillin explained. "We're just holding Goku back now; if we stay here then Goku won't be able to fight freely because we could get in the way. If worst came to worst that guy could take one of us hostage. It's best if we leave so that Goku can fight without having to worry about us."

"Is that true, dad?" Gohan asked.

"Yes Gohan, I'm afraid so," Goku nodded, patting his son on the head. "Sorry; this guy is just that dangerous."

The small warrior frowned and looked down. "... Alright... I'll go..."

"Listen Goku, before we go I have a request," Krillin added. "Don't fight this guy here; take him to a different location. We don't want to rough up our friend's bodies any more than they already are, especially since we could still be able to bring them back to life!"

Goku looked at his friend baffled. "... But Krillin, Piccolo and Kami are dead. The Dragonballs are gone. No one's being wished back this time.

"Maybe not..." Krillin mumbled.

Goku, Gohan and Hairiyu all stared in wonder at the small monk. What was he suggesting?

"Are you saying... there might be a way to bring them back still?" Goku asked.

"I don't know but there might be!" Krillin shrugged his shoulders. "There's no point in talking about it now; we've gotta beat both Saiyans before we can even think about that!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Goku smiled.

_'... There might be a way to bring Piccolo back to life?'_ Hairiyu wondered in her mind. _'... But mama told me the Dragonballs could only make people alive again and the grown-ups are all saying they're gone now! I don't understand!'_

"What's wrong Kakarrot? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now!" Vegeta's voice carried up to them.

"Sounds like he's getting impatient," Goku sighed with a smile. "Alright you guys, get to Kame House as quickly as you can; I'll be sure to fight in a different place."

Krillin hesitated before holding out his hand. "Listen Goku; we grew up together... Let's just make sure that we grow old together. Don't die, ok? You're my best friend."

"Don't worry, it's a promise," Goku smiled, taking Krillin's hand in a pact. He turned and affectionately rubbed his son on the head. "It's just goodbye for now Gohan. When this is all over I'll take you fishing, ok? Make sure that when you see your mum that you give her a big hug for me!"

"Alright," Gohan nodded with a smile, pleased to see his father again.

Hairiyu watched as Gohan's father descended towards the other Saiyan. She couldn't help but feel nervous.

First the Saiyan and Goku talked a little. Then they took off, heading over towards the Sun.

The remaining trio hovered in mid-air watching them leave, each left to their own thoughts. None were sure how this was going to turn out...

"... Gohan, Hairiyu? Come on, we need to get going."

Hairiyu looked around; Krillin was pointing towards some place, she wasn't sure why that direction mattered.

"I guess so..." Hairiyu mumbled, looking down at the ground. All those dead bodies below them; all of them had been her mother's friends from when she was little and now they were all dead. Piccolo had been her mentor for the past year. Tears began to well up in the little girl's eyes yet she refused to cry. Piccolo had taught her not to ever show emotions in that way. She didn't want to let him down anymore than she already had!

"... Krillin, will my dad be ok?" Gohan asked.

Krillin smiled, "Hey, no worries. Your dad's got everything under control. It'll be fine; Goku always manages to save the day in the end!" He placed a hand each on their shoulders. "Come on, let's get back to Kame House and leave everything to Goku. I'm sure your mothers will be waiting for you there."

"You think she'll really be there?" Hairiyu perked up, eyes glistening. "I wanna go see mama!"

"Well then, let's go," Krillin pointed behind him.

The three warriors left the scene, heading towards the east.

-

The flight led them towards the coastline, Krillin seemed to be following it. None of them spoke much but Hairiyu felt like she had a lot to ask.  
"... Krillin?"

"What is it?"

She contemplated asking the question as a wave of uncertainty hit her.

"... Which one of those Saiyans was my daddy?"

Krillin looked over his shoulder to the small girl; Gohan looking at her as well.

Hairiyu began to feel self-conscious that they were both staring at her!

"... Honestly, I'm not sure." Krillin eventually answered.

"Oh..." Hairiyu frowned. She didn't like either of the Saiyans – she didn't like any of the Saiyans she'd met – apart from Goku of course. Still she couldn't help but wonder which of the two Saiyans her father was!

"... My money's on the one that's still alive," Krillin was barely audible but Hairiyu heard him.

Her heart leapt yet sunk at the same time; it was a strange feeling! On one hand she was happy her daddy was still alive, on the other hand he was about to fight Gohan's daddy. He'd killed his own friend. He didn't seem nice at all and he was kind of scary.

"So Hairiyu's daddy is the short Saiyan?" Gohan asked.

"I could be wrong but there does seem to be a resemblance between you both," Krillin explained. "Don't take my word as law though; I could be wrong... Not that it really matters in the end..."

Gohan smiled, "You found out who your daddy is!"

Hairiyu didn't seem so happy.

-

It was a while before something else came up.

Hairiyu picked up on something and stopped, Gohan not too far behind her.

Krillin glanced over his shoulder and realised the two were no longer following him. "Hey, let's keep going you guys; we're nearly half-way there."

"I sense something," Gohan mumbled.

Hairiyu nodded. "... It feels mean... the Saiyan's ki feels bigger."

Krillin hovered towards them, he didn't speak for a while. "... You're right. It does seem like the Saiyan's power level has risen."  
Gohan began to grow anxious. "... Daddy..."

"H-Hey, don't worry about him. Knowing your dad he's probably not even warmed up yet! I bet he's still hiding his true power as well. He'll soon power up and beat that Saiyan with ease."

Hairiyu frowned. "Why is Gohan's daddy fighting my daddy...? Why is my daddy on the 'bad guy' side?"

Krillin seemed a little uncomfortable with all the questions this inquisitive girl was asking. How was he meant to answer that? How was he meant to explain to a young child that her father was a cold-blooded killer that wouldn't think twice about killing everyone on the planet - including her and her mother!

"... Well... Sometimes people don't turn out the way we hoped they would..." Krillin stuttered, not really sure where he was going with his explanation! "... Your dad is... well... I'll explain while we're flying back to Kame House! Come on, let's keep moving!"

Hairiyu frowned, slightly disappointed with his reaction. Was her daddy really a bad guy? She didn't want that! She didn't want her daddy to be the bad guy; he had to be a 'good guy' because she was a 'good guy'! It didn't make any sense to her that he could be a bad person when she was a good person!

It wasn't too much longer until it happened again.

Gohan gasped and stopped.

Krillin and Hairiyu also picked up onto it and turned around.

"... Dad's energy..." Gohan mumbled. "... Dad's energy is rising."

He was right; Hairiyu could sense Goku's ki was rising yet it was going so fast! Just how much power did Gohan's dad have?

The trio continued their journey. Every-so-often Krillin would look over his shoulder to make sure the children were behind him, or so Hairiyu assumed. Her mind raced with many thoughts; her daddy was a Saiyan alien, he was fighting with Gohan's daddy, Gohan's daddy was incredibly strong and she couldn't wait to see her mama again!

"What is it, Krillin?"

Hairiyu perked up and looked behind her, confused at what she saw. "... What's that?"  
It looked like the moon yet at the same time it didn't. She'd never seen anything like it!

"I'm not sure." Krillin mumbled. "It can't be the moon but it almost looks like the sun... Weird."

"Isn't that coming from where my dad is?" Gohan asked.

Hairiyu gasped, suddenly able to sense an intense energy coming from where Gohan's dad and her dad were. It looked like she wasn't the only one; both Gohan and Krillin had similar looks on their faces.

"W-What an unbelievably large ki!" Krillin nearly choked on the lump which had risen into his throat. "It's crazy!"

"... Krillin... Krillin we have to go back," Gohan quivered. "I have to go back to help my dad!"

"Back all the way there?" Hairiyu asked in shock. "Aren't you afraid of that big energy?"

Gohan frowned and shook his head stubbornly, although at heart it terrified him. "No, I've got to go help my dad."

"Why do you need to go back? Sure it's an unbelievably large ki coming from the area where the Saiyan and your dad are fighting – what if that big energy is coming from your dad?" Krillin suggested nervously.

"That's not coming from my dad," Gohan wailed, "I'm sorry but I need to go back! Please, let us go back! I just can't shake off the feeling that my dad is in big trouble!"

Krillin put a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Listen, even if we did go back, none of us would be any match against the Saiyan. We'd only end up getting in the way and possibly ending up like Piccolo and the others. What use would we be then?"

"I don't know what I can do..." Gohan mumbled, "... I don't know what I can do to be useful... but I do know that no matter what I've got to go back and help my daddy!"

With little warning Gohan broke loose of Krillin's grasp and headed towards the bright light in the sky.

"Wait for me, Gohan!" Hairiyu called, following her friend. He had become her best friend in the past year so she wanted to help him out; she didn't want to see another person she was friends with get hurt.

"You guys are nuts!" Krillin cried, leaping after the two children. "I guess I've got no choice but to take you there! Let's hurry!"

-

It took a while but soon Gohan, Hairiyu and Krillin had reached the place where Goku and Vegeta were fighting. The area looked messy to Hairiyu; there were rocks sticking up as tall as skyscrapers and they were everywhere! Surely it wasn't going to be easy spotting the two fighters.

"We're almost there Gohan!" Krillin called.

Hairiyu's eyes continued to scan the terrain, heading towards the horizon... She noticed something that looked out of place, something big and blue.

"Hey, what's that thing down there, Krillin?" She asked.

"Huh? What thing?"

"That blueish thing down there," Hairiyu pointed.

Gohan looked and gasped, "Yeah, I see it too!" He cried.

Krillin spotted it, his jaw dropping open in horror. "Gohan, Hairiyu, get down on the ground now before it sees us!"


	14. Chapter 013

**Chapter 013 - Saving Goku and fighting her father**

Gohan and Hairiyu both stopped, Hairiyu turning around to look back at Krillin whilst Gohan continued to watch the giant primate. "W-What is that?" He quivered.

"What's wrong, Krillin?" Hairiyu asked.

"Just do it!" Krillin bellowed. "Get down to the ground now!"

The trio headed towards the ground as fast as they could. Krillin's feet tapped the ground, Gohan and Hairiyu landing either side of him. "Come on, we've gotta get moving! Stay close to the ground and try to keep as quiet as possible!" He ordered.

"Right," Gohan nodded unsure what was going on but listening never-the-less.

Hairiyu followed as the boys began to run, she was growing nervous once more. From down here that monkey-thing looked huge!

Something dashed out in front of the fighters, making them all scream!

"Don't just go charging in! Do you guys have any idea what that thing is? It's the Saiyan! I saw the whole thing!" The man blurted.

Hairiyu calmed herself down quickly; a short stubby man with a sword stood between them and the monkey. She didn't recognise him at all!

"I know it's the Saiyan," Krillin replied back sternly, "besides if we don't do anything then Goku's a goner!"

So Krillin knew this person... At least that was one relief!

"You moron, there's nothing we can do to help him!" the fat man barked irritated. "I hate to say it but the Saiyan's got us beat!"

"Maybe but there is one way we can get him out of that form and weaken him," Krillin replied.

"T-T-That's the S-Saiyan?" Hairiyu squawked in horror, shaking from the sight up ahead of them. That was one big monkey up close! Then it dawned on her. That was supposed to be her daddy? How was that even possible? She didn't understand!

"How do we weaken him then smartass?" the man jeered rudely.

"We've gotta somehow cut off his tail; it's the only way," Krillin explained. "It worked whenever Goku transformed so it should work for Vegeta too! You guys go on ahead and try to attract his attention – I'm gonna try and cut his tail off!"

"Right," Gohan nodded bravely.

"Hurry!" Krillin called, rushing off and teleporting from rock to rock, Gohan mimicking his movement in the opposite direction.

Hairiyu felt a little hesitant to move. That monkey was at least a hundred times bigger than her!

"... He's crazy if he thinks I'm gonna go and distract that thing! Like I said, there's no way we can beat the Saiyan; it doesn't make a difference what we try!"

Yajirobe realised he was not alone, turning slightly to see Hairiyu was still here.

"Aren't you gonna go with them kid?"

Hairiyu gasped as she was brought back to reality, eyes falling upon the taller, chubbier swordsman.

"... Aren't you gonna go too?" She asked, feeling the need to act brave all of a sudden.  
The truth was she was torn; she was scared of their gigantic opponent's size but also anxious because this fighter was supposedly her father. She didn't want to hurt her dad even if he was an evil person. Family members weren't meant to hurt one another.

The fat man snorted. "I'm not stupid like Krillin and Gohan; I know when I'm beat! If you wanna go become a maniac and join them then be my guest! I'm outta here!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a capsule, throwing it to the ground and waiting as the smoke appeared.

Hairiyu smiled, "Hey, that's one of my grandfather's capsules!" She beamed suddenly feeling nostalgic. It had been too long since she'd been home. "Are you gonna drive towards the monster instead of run? Maybe that's why you're rounder than most people; you don't exercise enough..."

The fat man blushed and glared angrily at the small girl as he got into the car. "Shut up kid!" He snarled, slamming the door loudly. "I'm not going over there; I'm going away from here!" With a quick and rough push on the accelerator, he sped away from the scene.

Hairiyu watched in confusion as the man left. Why'd be gotten so mad at her? _'... Maybe I should go help Gohan and Krillin out,'_ she decided. The young girl broke into a run and began to teleport her way towards the giant Saiyan.

She ran through the complicated rocky terrain, glancing over her shoulder every-so-often to see where everyone else was.

"Where are you, I know someone's out there! Show yourself!"

Hairiyu almost screamed and tripped over; the Saiyan's voice was horrendously loud! Had she been spotted? ... No, he wasn't looking in her direction... but that didn't mean she couldn't be sensed...

"I'm right here!"

That was Gohan's voice, although she could barely hear him. "You put my dad down right now!"

Hairiyu was to the left of Vegeta and could just about see Gohan standing high above her on a tall ridge overlooking the canyon the giant monkey stood in. She hadn't meant to have gotten so close to their opponent but could just about make out Goku's feet between the giant monkey's hands. The sight made her blood freeze; he was easily crushing Gohan's father like a grape – this was the man who'd taken Nappa down like it was nothing!

Vegeta continued to make conversation with Gohan, Hairiyu guessing he didn't know she was here. She dived between a couple of rocks, figuring Gohan was going to be ok by himself. She could see Krillin was charging up the same strange disc he'd fired at Nappa earlier, just before she'd attacked the Saiyan. This was it, it was all going well!

Krillin tossed the disc forward, aimed dead on for the Saiyan's tail...

Hairiyu watched in shock as the monkey-like being suddenly jumped up. "He dodged it?" She cried, struck by terror as Gohan was now directly in the line of fire! The disc sliced straight through the block of rock he'd been standing on, thankfully Gohan didn't fall. She began to move, trying to get a better view.

The terrific thud of the Saiyan landing made her lose her grip, knocking Hairiyu off the ledge she'd started to climb up and sending her crashing onto her back! Luckily she hadn't been too high up so she escaped with a couple of bruises and cuts. She was very relieved that she hadn't screamed, hopefully the Saiyan still didn't know she was here.

The oozaru hadn't appeared to have noticed her as he turned in the opposite direction.  
"Idiots! Did you really think I wouldn't know? As soon as I saw Kakarrot's boy, I knew you and the girl would be here!"

Hairiyu gasped and gulped. _'He knows I'm here? Wow, I thought they needed those things on their faces to tell them that!'_

"Too bad you didn't count on that," the monkey jeered. "Now your chances of trying to sneak up on me have disappeared! I warned you what would happen if you challenged me!"

Although Hairiyu didn't know what was going on, she could hear something squeaking between the monkey's gloves.

"STOP IT!" Gohan was heard bellowing at the top of his lungs. "STOP IT, JUST STOP!"

"What, you want to go, kid?" The monkey asked, laughing loudly.

Hairiyu rolled to a sitting position, noticing she had a good view of where the Saiyan's tail was. _'Krillin said we could beat him if we chopped his tail off!'_ She realised.

A blur shot across her vision.

Hairiyu saw an orange blob make contact with the Saiyan's tail, the tail suddenly falling to the ground.

It was the fat man from earlier! He'd cut the Saiyan's tail off!

The Saiyan stood straight. "... A fourth one... I didn't count on there being a fourth person here..."

The Saiyan's body began to make strange noises, suddenly beginning to shrink in size!

"What's going on? Why is he doing that?" Hairiyu wailed, suddenly growing fearful that she was so close to him and backing off into the wall of the nearby rock stack she'd been climbing before.

The monkey grew smaller and smaller...

Hairiyu's eyes widened in shock. It was the Saiyan! He looked like how he had done before they'd left! She was sure she'd seen something drop to the ground as he'd shrunk but couldn't see what it was.

Vegeta looked exhausted, hunched over and gasping for breath. She couldn't see the expression on his face unlike Gohan and Krillin. It wasn't until he spoke that Hairiyu could hazard a guess on what face he was pulling.

"... You... bastards!"

That didn't sound good to her! Hairiyu gulped and backed into the wall as much as she could. The Saiyan was currently looking over to Krillin. "If you want to die so much then so be it!" He bellowed.

He suddenly turned quickly to glance up towards Gohan. The boy stood upon his raised outlook with fearful wide, stunned eyes.

A quick glance to his right caught the deer-in-headlights look young Hairiyu shot him-

"Oh shit!" Krillin gasped loud enough for his voice to echo through the whole canyon. "RUN!"

Vegeta bolted towards Hairiyu in the blink of an eye, catching the stunned girl by surprise and pinning her against the side of the large boulder behind her with a fist to her gut. Hairiyu coughed, loose saliva knocked out of her mouth alongside the breath she'd held in her lungs. The pain was overwhelming, her breathing wrecked from the hit.

"What a useless fighter you are," Vegeta sneered, "can't even put up a lousy defence! To think I had plans for you... You can die along with the other scum on this planet; I have no use for a weakling coward like you!"

He pulled out his fist; Hairiyu slowly slid down the rocky wall onto the floor in a heap, winded and trembling from the single attack.

Vegeta turned and glared back up towards Gohan, bolting off the ground and heading straight for him.

Krillin had managed to get to Hairiyu within that split second, attention quickly turned towards Gohan, "GOHAN RUN!" He bellowed, lifting Hairiyu up so she didn't slouch against the wall as much. Hairiyu's breath was short and shallow. Was it because of the attack winding her... or was it because of what he'd just said to her had had so much of an emotional effect on her?

She sat fixated as Gohan was beaten down to the ground. Krillin shot off away from her just as Vegeta began to raise his fist – in a flash Krillin was sent flying into several rocks, crashing to the ground with a thump. She looked over to Krillin, body still shaking from earlier. Dazed she looked back to Gohan and Vegeta, not sure what she was seeing.

Hairiyu blinked and seemed to become conscious once again, watching in horror as Gohan was thrown off the ledge towards the ground. The thought which'd run through her mind so many times since she'd asked Krillin that one question a while ago once again exploded to the surface: why was her father trying to kill them all?

Gohan had landed beside his father; it was only now Hairiyu realised Goku was still alive... or so she thought. Despite her fatigue she was able to barely detect Goku's ki, he wasn't going to be much use in his condition. Was he even conscious? Who else would be able to stand up to the Saiyan? Krillin had been knocked out, Gohan didn't look as if he'd be getting up... She was the only one who probably could get to her feet!

The thought made her heart thump. She was the only one? She was the only one who could attempt to fight her father?

Mumbling from over where Gohan lay barely reached her ears. Hairiyu rose to her feet and took a closer look; could she hear Gohan's dad?

"Alright, I've decided what I'm going to do!" Vegeta sneered. "First I'll kill Kakarrot, then Kakarrot's son, then the other little brat, then the bald guy, and finally the bastard who cut my tail off!"

Hairiyu gulped, fear jumping into her ribcage once more.

She watched as the Saiyan jumped off the ledge, striking Gohan's father in the stomach with his knee. Each hit made her panic all-the-more. She couldn't watch any more of this but at the same time it was all she could do. Her legs had turned to jelly, her body cried for rest, her head told her to run yet her heart told her to fight! She was a mixture of fear and need; she wanted to help but she wanted to live!

Gohan suddenly screamed out, his ki rising rapidly as he fired off another Masenko; Vegeta jumping out of the way.

It wasn't fair; why'd it have to be him?

Hairiyu was watching down below, body still shaking. This was her father attacking them all; at this rate she feared he would kill Gohan. She didn't want him to do that!  
She noticed Krillin limping over to Goku out of the corner of her eye, focus still staying with Vegeta and Gohan's fight.

She wanted to help. She didn't want to lose anyone else. She was scared. This was her father. He'd killed the man who was supposed to be his partner. He was incredibly horrible; it was clear he didn't care about her...

He didn't care about her. What kind of dad didn't care for his family?

Her family... her mother, grandfather and nana... all of them cared about her...

She cared about them.

She didn't want the Saiyan to blow up the Earth – her family would die!

All this man did was hurt people!

Without any second thoughts Hairiyu took a step forward and left her hands beside her hips. Two blue balls of light began to form as she charged up her ki, eyes focused on Gohan and Vegeta. She couldn't let those she loved be hurt!

In a swift toss of her hands, Hairiyu fired her Kentoka Flash straight for the Saiyan. It hadn't gone unnoticed.

Gohan was suddenly thrown backwards, Vegeta dodging Hairiyu's attack, the beam shooting off into space. The Saiyan's attention switched to her.

Hairiyu gulped and took a deep breath. "Stop hurting people!" She bellowed at the top of her lungs, hoping he would hear.

Vegeta guffawed in amusement. "Oh please don't hurt me, I'll do whatever you say! Get stuffed you little brat! No one can stop me, least of all you!"

Hairiyu clenched her fists bravely and flew towards her father. "You're a horrible person!" She yelled, drawing one fist back.

She couldn't quite explain how she'd gone from being terrified of this man to being able to stand up to him but that's just how it was. With every attack she threw out, Vegeta either dodged or blocked, no successful hits coming through. Her mind and heart raced, her movement as swift as she could make it, fluid and accurate. Yet Vegeta seemed to be able to anticipate her attacks, 'one-step-ahead' as Piccolo would put it.

With no warning Hairiyu was slammed down into the ground, bouncing slightly before falling face-first once more. Her forehead stung tremendously, loose tears had been knocked from her eyes. Stubborn and not wanting to give in, the shaky girl rose to her feet and looked back up. Gohan had intervened and was fighting... or was struggling a better word? Hairiyu jumped up towards them and joined the fight; the two mini fighters giving the Saiyan everything they had.

In a flash it suddenly turned. Vegeta grabbed hold of Gohan and swung him into Hairiyu, knocking the two children back down towards the ground. They landed in a heap on top of one another.

It took a moment before there was any movement.

"He's too strong..." Gohan grumbled, Hairiyu finally getting off of him and allowing him to get back onto his feet. "Dad weakened him but he's still so strong..."

"Yeah... Ow..." Hairiyu rubbed her stomach and looked up towards her dad. "... I thought dads were nice to their kids..." she mumbled quietly.

"If you won't attack me then I'll attack you both instead!"

Vegeta was heading straight at them!

Gohan was back on his feet and had fired off an attack. As Vegeta dodged and flew up, Hairiyu sent out an attack straight in Vegeta's path-

The Saiyan vanished!

"MASENKO!" Gohan fired off an attack to where Vegeta had appeared; Vegeta once again teleporting out of harm's way.

"KENTOKA FLASH!" Hairiyu cried, sending out yet another energy attack which again Vegeta teleported to avoid.

At this rate it was going to take a miracle to hit the man much less defeat him!


	15. Chapter 014

**Chapter 014 - On their Last Legs**

Vegeta landed on the ground in front of the tired children and began to walk towards them. "I must admit I'm surprised; you two put up more of a fight than I thought you would... However it doesn't make a bit of difference. It seems you're both hitting your limits." He stopped walking and held back his hands. "I'm done playing with you now."

Gohan gulped and took a cautious step back, "It's not working..." he mumbled worried. "Nothing we're trying is working."

"I know," Hairiyu nodded, swallowing the lump that had appeared in her throat. "What's he about to do?"

"I t-think he's about to attack us." Gohan gulped taking another step back; both growing nervous.

Vegeta yelled out and threw both hands forwards repeatedly, sending out several separate energy blasts.

Both Gohan and Hairiyu screamed and began to run backwards, narrowly dodging the dozens of attacks heading straight for them. They both leapt back across the uneven ground as blast after blast shot towards them, Vegeta continuously firing off attack after attack, each blast homing in on their targets.

In the thick of it all Hairiyu tripped over on a rock and screamed as she fell backwards, blasts landing and surrounding her in chokingly thick dust. She was left in confusion as dust poured everywhere, ground fragments showering all over her. She couldn't hear anything over the deafening explosions but knew she had to move fast!

The dust rapidly cleared for some reason, Hairiyu spotting a glowing blue light from the corner of her eye – it dashed past her so fast! She caught sight of it and realised it was heading straight for the Saiyan—

Vegeta leapt up into the air. The attack shot under him and headed directly for Gohan!

"Gohan!" Hairiyu gasped; he seemed to just be staring at the thing!

Gohan's arms shot out in front of him, the ball of light bouncing off!

The ball headed for the Saiyan.

There was a terrific bright light as the attack made contact. The sky darkened almost instantly, lightning bolts appearing to fly from the centre of the attack, light flashing all around them. Krillin, Gohan, Hairiyu, Yajirobe and Goku all looked on in awe at the tremendous destructive attack. In the centre of it all was Vegeta. The Saiyan screamed out as his entire body was attacked and engulfed by the powerful move, engulfed in the bright light before he was finally blasted up towards space.

Wonder stole everyone's words for a moment or so.

"We did it! Goku, we did it!" Krillin was heard cheering from a little far back.

A small smile appeared on Hairiyu's face. Was it true? Had they won?

The smile faded quickly... Had they just beaten her father? Had they just killed him?

As Gohan passed her Hairiyu glanced over to where Goku lay; Krillin now sat beside his friend and they seemed to be talking. With a quiet sigh she followed Gohan and walked towards the others.

"... We did it... didn't we daddy?" Gohan asked uncertain.

"Looks that way," Krillin nodded. "Nice rebound, Gohan. I think we all owe you one!"

Hairiyu nodded but couldn't smile, not anymore.

"... Still that move of yours was incredible Goku!" Krillin was heard saying; he seemed really excited.

"What was it, daddy?" Gohan asked.

"Well... that was another move K... Kaio taught me..." Goku sounded awfully exhausted.

Now that Hairiyu was this close to him she could see all the damage he'd taken. The sight terrified her; he'd taken such a horrendous beating... So how was it he was able to stay as calm as he seemed? Hairiyu didn't understand. If she were in his shoes she'd be crying right now!

Something caught her attention; it had caught everyone's attention. There was something falling from the sky...

"... No way!" Krillin gasped.

Vegeta crashed onto the ground with a loud and heavy thump, bouncing slightly before finally stopping.

He wasn't moving.

"T-The Saiyan!" Gohan gasped.

"Don't worry, he's dead," Krillin smiled in a relaxed manner as he rose to his feet.

Hairiyu looked horrified to see what she saw. She wailed out and turned away shaking. Evil or not, that was her father's dead body she was looking at and that alone was enough to bring tears to her eyes. The wet streams rolled down her cheeks as she began to cry, clearly disturbed by what she saw.

"What's wrong?" Goku asked. "Why are you crying?"

"Um... I guess you don't know about it then," Krillin mumbled.

Goku turned to face his friend curiously, "... Know about what? Am I missing something?"  
"Well earlier on, we found out something quite dramatic," Krillin explained. "You see, the reason Hairiyu had a tail was because one of these two Saiyans was her dad. It turns out that Saiyan was Vegeta."

"WHAT?" Goku gasped in shock. "REALLY?"

"That's probably why she's now upset," Krillin nodded, "It's not exactly easy seeing any dead person, particularly for a young kid at her age! It's even worse when it's a family member; I think it just has that much more of an impact..."

He turned and put a hand on Hairiyu's shoulder. "I'm sorry he turned out to be the way he did; I wish it had turned out differently for your sake... We'll honour him and dig him a grave."

"... Now that you mention it... there is a bit of a resemblance," Goku was still in awe. "... The hair colour is quite obvious now that I think of it!"

Hairiyu didn't watch Krillin as he walked over to her father; she couldn't! Confusion and exhaustion filled her body; she was tired and so emotionally drained. She just wanted to wake up from this nightmare.

Krillin screamed, Hairiyu span around on the spot, eyes wide and leaking. She couldn't believe it! Her father was slowly getting to his feet! He looked absolutely awful! Then it dawned on her just how dangerous a situation they were all in.

"You've given me quite a beating... Even I thought I was going to die from that last attack!" Vegeta's voice was a little shaky yet the look in his eye was still deadly. "You bastards! I'll pay you back ten times for what you've done!"

Krillin was slapped to the side, crashing onto his hip, blood spewing out of his mouth.

"When I've FINALLY destroyed you all, I'll take time to recover, then I'll make my return and then I shall destroy the Earth!" Vegeta declared.

Hairiyu realised he would make his way towards her and the others; disbelief and fear now dwelling inside her. She'd lost count how many times she'd lost hope today!

"You bastards... taxing my powers to their limits... Making a fool out of me... You really have made me struggle..." Vegeta snarled through heavy breaths as he approached the others, "You've really taken a lot out of me... But what hurts the most isn't my wounds... What hurts the most is my pride... for having to struggle against scum like you..." He stopped in his tracks and placed his arms across his front in a defensive stance. "So just die!"

"D-D-Dad... What do we do?" Gohan quivered terrified.

"... Run Gohan... both of you run away!" Goku ordered through grinding teeth.

A pure white bubble surrounded Vegeta, suddenly bursting outwards as he threw his hands up into the air. There was a horrendously powerful explosion; all five warriors caught in the blast and vanished in the bright light, screams drowned out by the ear-bursting rumble of the ground shaking. The powerful winds ripped up dust across the ground, shredding it into pieces, obliterating lose fragments of rock unable to stand up to its mighty force...

Hairiyu was tossed through a confusing bright world. She hit something; pain bursting through her back, then her side as she hit something solid, blacking out.

After what felt like forever, the tremors calmed and stopped. The wind died down completely.

When she finally came to, she had no idea what was happening anymore. There was panic and tension in the air; from what she could sense she wasn't the only one alive. Her body ached, refusing to move without a fight. Struggling Hairiyu managed to support herself against a rocky wall. Trying to work out and make sense of the world she looked around.

She spotted the gigantic monkey.

Her eyes widened in horror and shock as she instinctively backed off into the stone wall. "W-W-What? I-Is that the S-Saiyan again? Why'd he go all big again?"

Unbeknownst to her it was not the Saiyan, it was Gohan.

The monkey seemed to be on a rampage, smashing everything with its fists, roaring out every-so-often, making its way towards her! He grabbed a large chunk of rock and held it above his head...

Suddenly the mood changed. The monkey stopped dead in his tracks.

Hairiyu raised a baffled eyebrow. What was wrong?

"Gohan! Get the Saiyan! Go attack the Saiyan!"

That was Krillin's voice! He was alive too! Yet now Hairiyu was completely lost and tilted her head in confusion. _'Why are they sending Gohan to fight him? He's huge!' _

She hesitantly leaned off the side of the wall and cautiously began to approach Goku; he was the closest one to her, plus she had a bone to pick with him. What was he thinking sending Gohan to fight that giant monster? As she made her way over, Vegeta leapt up the side of one of the many rock formations of the area; Hairiyu caught a glimpse of him as he fled from the gigantic monster.

Her jaw dropped and she stopped moving; that big monkey wasn't the Saiyan? "... Who is that?" She cried fearfully. "Where's Gohan?"

"... That is Gohan..." Goku answered her, voice hoarse.

Hairiyu's eyes widened in shock, "T-That?" She quivered. "How?"

How was that Gohan? It was a big monkey! How had Gohan managed to become that thing? How was it possible? Why?

With no clear answers, Hairiyu resigned to watching the seemingly one-sided fight, the monkey – or Gohan – was giving the Saiyan a hard time yet the Saiyan seemed to be scheming something. He vanished behind the monkey's head, suddenly being swatted by his tail and vanishing into the dense collection of rocks.

Vegeta leapt towards the jumping monkey, an attack that looked very similar to Krillin's strange disc formed in his hand and he tossed it out.

The disc shot straight through the monkey's tail cutting it off.

Hairiyu leaned in closer. She wondered if it would happen again...?

It seemed to be. The monkey rolled forward as it looked down at the lack of tail it now had. What confused Hairiyu was the Saiyan; he didn't even attempt to move out of the way! The last Hairiyu saw of Vegeta was the monkey landing on top of him, vanishing behind a few more tall boulders.

The ground shook violently, knocking Hairiyu off her feet and onto her back.

For a moment all she wanted to do was close her eyes and sleep...

No. She had to stay awake.

Reluctantly she sat up and got to her feet. She had to keep an eye on the situation and do her best to help out; that was one of the things Piccolo had taught her. There were so many questions buzzing around her mind; had that monkey really been Gohan? If so, how had he become that monkey in the first place? Why had he changed back when his tail had been cut off? Since when had his tail grown back? Why hadn't her tail done the same thing? What was the Saiyan doing? Was Gohan still in danger? Were they all still in danger?

She could see them now. Vegeta was down on his back, not moving. If whatever was on top of him was what she thought it was, Hairiyu didn't want to look as embarrassment slapped her in the face! She was sure that was a butt she could see! She stifled a laugh, feeling she had to watch the Saiyan just in case he got up but finding it hard to be serious!

Vegeta was moving although his actions were sluggish, slow and not much to speak of. He seemed to be reaching for something in what Hairiyu assumed was armour. He took a tiny device out and began to press it, hands dropping heavily.

It was a while before anything suspicious happened. A strange round thing landed a few metres away from the Saiyan. Slowly he pushed whatever it was off of him and rolled over, each move taking a while to complete. Hairiyu's suspicions were confirmed – the butt belonged to Gohan – why was he not wearing any clothes?

Krillin appeared, holding what looked like the fat man's sword in his hand. A feeling of dread shot through her heart; was Krillin chasing after the Saiyan?

The Saiyan had made it to his ship and was holding onto it before Krillin finally caught up.

Hairiyu watched terrified, anticipating what was about to happen.

The villain realised he'd been spotted, his eyes wide as he looked helplessly at Krillin.

"This is for all the people you killed!"

The sword rose – Hairiyu couldn't turn away but she pleaded in her head for Krillin to stop!

"DIE!"

She clamped her eyes shut and clenched up, whimpering a little as she braced herself for that awful sound...

"... Was that you talking in my head just now, Goku?"

Hairiyu opened her eyes, shocked and confused. Vegeta was still alive; Krillin still had the sword raised but his focus was on Goku! Hairiyu blinked and looked back and forth between Goku and Krillin, oblivious to what was going on; it seemed as if Krillin was talking to Goku but Goku wasn't answering back! What was going on? Why hadn't Krillin killed her father? (She was partly glad he hadn't; this was her father after all...)

Krillin seemed to suddenly grow angry. "Let him go? Goku, what are you thinking? Do you think he's gonna turn over a new leaf like Piccolo? I can tell you now this guy is not like that; he doesn't have a leaf to turn over! He doesn't have a speck of decency in him at all! If we let him go he'll just come back and destroy us all!" After a moment or so he raised an eyebrow, now looking more confused.

"... What a waste? ...Goku, this is the guy who killed all of our friends!" Krillin bellowed frustrated. "Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Chaozu, Piccolo; all of them died because of him!"

Krillin clenched his fists, sword rattling as his arms shook with emotion. He hurriedly turned away from Vegeta, who'd managed to almost sit himself inside the pod, eyes still wide open as he stared at the weapon held in the Earthling's hand... or so it looked to Hairiyu.

What was going on? Why did Krillin look so torn...?

The sword clanged as it struck the floor.

"... I got it... Listen Goku; you make sure the next time he comes here that you beat him!"

Hairiyu couldn't believe it. Why? Why had he dropped the sword? _'What's going on? Why did Krillin change his mind?'_ Hairiyu wondered. _'I'm glad that he did but I thought he didn't like my dad... Weird...'_

A humming sound caught the little girl's attention. It looked like the strange thing her father sat in was beginning to move. Was it his transport? It sounded like a machine of some kind.

"When I come back... there will be... no mercy..." Vegeta sneered, "... I'll kill you all... count on it."

The door closed, clamping into place. Seconds later the ship rose into the sky, bolting up with a dramatic increase in speed and disappearing out of their sight into the distance.


	16. Chapter 015

**Chapter 015 - Earth's Survivors**

The silence was welcoming. Nothing but silence filled the air as what they'd witnessed slowly sunk in.

The strange ship had vanished into the blue above. Was he really gone?

Hairiyu watched the sky for a while, body crumpled as she fell to a sitting position. Her heart thumped in her chest, her throat dry and her muscles just about ready to give in.

"Gohan's alright... He's probably more exhausted than anything."

Hairiyu looked over, deliberately averting her eyes as Krillin brought Gohan over towards her and Goku. Everyone seemed to be calm; she guessed that meant the Saiyan really had run away... It was an anticlimactic way to end such an important fight but she was glad it was over.

The sound of jets startled the child and she fearfully looked straight up into the sky; she couldn't see anything where the Saiyan's ship had vanished...

"Helllooooo down there!"

Hairiyu looked around and spotted the plane which had stopped and had begun to descend through the air, landing within another couple of seconds and kicking up dust.

"... Is that...?" She gasped, hopes rising rapidly and a smile slowly spreading across her face. It had the Capsule Corp logo on the back, surely it must be...

The door opened, the old man from the Kame House was waving. Hairiyu recognised him and smiled in relief – the smile fading as a dark-haired woman pushed the old man out of the ship, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"GOHAN!"

"... Chichi?" Goku's voice caught Hairiyu's attention.

The woman looked furious. What was even worse was that she was sprinting straight at the two men! With one swift leap she jumped over Goku and snatched Gohan out of Krillin's grasp, knocking the bald fighter to the ground.

Hairiyu had backed away in fear of the angry-looking stranger! "W-Who's that?" She stuttered. She was scared the strange lady was going to kick her backwards just like she had to Krillin. Cautiously she watched as Chichi gently shook her son's head as she held him in her arms.

"Gohan, my poor baby! Speak to me!" She wailed.

"Um... Gohan's going to be alright Chichi," Krillin explained pointing over towards the elevated rock, "It's Goku you should be worried about... I'm afraid it's not looking so positive for him."

"I'll never let him take you anywhere again!" the woman cried clutching her son tightly in her arms and completely ignoring Krillin! "You poor thing; what did those bad men do to you? You must have been so scared without your mum!"

_'Mum?'_ Hairiyu repeated in her mind, _'... So she must be Gohan's mama!'_

The mere mention of a mother immediately led her attention back towards the ship; the sight of it and the people emerging from it brought tears to her eyes.

"Hairiyu!"

There she was making a light dash towards her.

"Mama!" Hairiyu sniffed, scuffling onto her feet and running towards her mother, straight into the blue-haired woman's open arms and strong but caring embrace. The tears streamed down the young girl's face as she broke into fits of wailing; Bulma's hand gently pulling her daughter even closer.

"I was so worried! I'm so glad to see you are alright!" Bulma quivered tearfully. "My little girl!"

"I m-missed you so m-much!" Hairiyu hiccupped, emotions stopping her from saying all the things she wanted to say. She felt so lethargic; today had been such a terrifying ordeal...

"You did a great job, son," Master Roshi joined the two of them.

Bulma stood up with Hairiyu in her arms still, walking forwards towards Goku. "My gosh this is horrible... Goku?" She leant down beside him.

"I'm alright... although I've been... in better shape..." Goku tried to stop her from worrying about him.

"I'm afraid we're gonna need to get him to a hospital pretty quickly; I'm all out of senzu beans."

Hairiyu turned to where the voice was and blinked in surprise; a white cat holding a strange-looking stick was behind them... Had that white cat just spoken?

"... Listen Bulma..." Krillin wandered over, finding it hard to speak. "I've got some bad news... Yamcha... Well... he's..."

"I know," Bulma interrupted with a gentle smile, eyes closed. "We saw it on the television broadcast."

Krillin nodded, "I see... Well... then I guess you two both know about the Dragonballs and Piccolo..."

"I SAID WE KNOW!" She bellowed, startling Goku, Krillin, Master Roshi and Hairiyu! "Yamcha and Piccolo are dead and the Dragonballs are gone, we know alright!" Her shaking fists were clenched tightly making Hairiyu shake a little in her mother's grip, Bulma's eyes closed in an attempt not to hold back her tears. To know he was dead broke her heart. Although things hadn't been the same between them since Hairiyu had been born, Bulma still harboured feelings for him. She hushed a whimper and wiped away a loose tear absent-mindedly.

"Come on, let's get Goku to a hospital," Master Roshi sighed in remorse.

Hairiyu frowned and buried her face in her mother's shirt, closing her eyes. She felt herself slipping, her body giving into the feeling of exhaustion.

-

When her eyes opened, she found herself in her mother's arms. The loud but gentle hum of an engine confirmed she was inside the plane they'd appeared in earlier, although she wasn't sure where they were going. Had she fallen asleep at some point?

"Good, you're awake..." Bulma's eyes looked red, Hairiyu knew she'd been crying. It made her feel guilty to see her mother so sad; she should have stopped Yamcha from going off to fight! Why did he have to die – he knew her mother would be sad! Hairiyu began to grow angry at the long-haired fighter; why did he not know her mama liked him still?

"Gohan!"

Hairiyu looked around to see Gohan was waking up, his mother – who everyone seemed to be calling Chichi – looked ecstatic.

"You're finally awake!" Chichi beamed.

Gohan turned to see his mother's face, "... Mummy?"

"Oh my poor little boy!" Chichi smothered her son tightly, "You must have been so scared!"

"You did really well my boy!" Master Roshi called from the pilot's seat.

"It's over Gohan; the Saiyan's gone," Krillin smiled, giving the young boy a thumbs up. "Unfortunately he kinda got away from us but I'm willing to bet he never comes back!"

"How much do you wanna bet?" Yajirobe asked.

"You must have been really sleepy," Hairiyu smiled. "You squashed him!"

"I did?" Gohan raised an eyebrow, not really sure what she was talking about. He seemed to suddenly be looking for something. "Hey, where's my daddy?"

"I'm right behind you Gohan," Goku's voice came from the other side of the sofa.

Hairiyu zoned out as the adults started talking amongst themselves, she still had a lot of pressing matters on her mind. Her mother had said earlier that Piccolo had died so the Dragonballs were gone; Krillin and Gohan had also mentioned this earlier, as had the Saiyans and Piccolo himself. Hairiyu concluded that Piccolo must somehow have a link to the Dragonballs, although she didn't know how as he'd also said he didn't create them.

Since the Dragonballs were gone, how were they meant to wish anyone back? Everyone would have to stay dead... The thought brought tears to her eyes but she desperately tried to hold them back. She had to be strong for her mama.

"They called him a 'Namekian'... It almost sounded like they were saying that Piccolo – and Kami for that matter – were aliens!"

Krillin's sentence caught Hairiyu's interest. It looked like everyone was thinking the same thing!

"Yeah, I remember them saying something like that. They said Namekians have the power to create magic balls!" Gohan nodded.

"Yeah, they thought Piccolo made the Dragonballs... I think..." Hairiyu added trying to remember when she'd heard this being mentioned.

"You're both right," Krillin smiled. "Then later on I'm sure they said something like not needing to use the Dragonballs on Earth to get their wish because there was another set on Planet Namek."

"... So... You think there's another place with Dragonballs? Is that what you're saying?" Bulma asked.

" Yeah. If we could get to this 'Planet Namek' then maybe... just maybe if it's true... we could use the Dragonballs there!"

"Yeah! Then we could wish Piccolo back to life!" Gohan beamed eagerly.

"G-Gohan! What are you saying?" Chichi gasped in horror.

"Hey, good thinking Gohan!" Krillin gasped in excitement. "If we bring Piccolo back to life then Kami will also come back and so will the Dragonballs here! We could still wish everyone back after all!"

Hairiyu beamed happily, "Piccolo and the others could all be wished back! Yay!" She threw her arms up in the air happily.

"Just stop," Bulma mumbled gloomily. "All of you just stop... It's not going to work."

Her mother's words hit everyone hard.

"Listen, do any of you even have the slightest clue of what we're actually saying?" Bulma asked. "We're assuming there's another planet with Dragonballs on it... For starters do any of you know where this planet actually is?"

No one answered.

"Leave it to me. I can contact Kaio; I'm sure he'll know where it is." Goku's voice barely came from the other side of the sofa.

_"So, you guys wanna know where Planet Namek is then?"_

Hairiyu froze in astonishment and confusion. Had she really heard that?

"... Please tell me I'm not going crazy but did anyone just hear that?" Master Roshi asked, mirroring Hairiyu's thoughts!

"We're all listening," Goku smiled. "It's only Kaio so don't worry. He's the one who trained me in otherworld."

_"First of all I just want to congratulate you all for doing such an amazing job!"_ Kaio praised them. _"To be perfectly honest in the end I didn't think it was going to turn out well! I'm sorry about that Goku; I greatly underestimated Vegeta's strength."_

"Yeah, me too," Goku frowned. "... Kaio... did I do the right thing in letting him go?"

_"... Well..."_

Hairiyu noticed Master Roshi had turned to face Krillin, "Y-You mean he let him go, rather than the Saiyan escaping?"

"I'll fill you in on the details later," Krillin replied.

_"Alright... Let's see... Namek's position is... In Earth-terms it's bearing is... Nine-zero-four-five-YX!"_

Bulma gasped almost pushing Hairiyu off her lap! "N-Nine-zero-four-five-YX?"

Krillin stared at her dumbfounded, "... Don't tell me you know what that means!"

"Hairiyu, I need to do a couple of calculations, sit here quietly and be a good girl," Bulma ordered, lifting her daughter off her lap and placing her back down on the sofa. She began walking around the ship, pulling a calculator from one of the side cabinets.

"Mama's smart, she knows lots of things," Hairiyu mumbled quietly to Krillin.

After that Hairiyu sat more-or-less quietly, listening to what Kaio had to say about Namek's past, the creator of Earth's Dragonball's past and what course of action they should take. What really interested her was what she'd learnt today. The idea blew her mind; so aliens truly did exist, as did magical-sounding planets? It all sounded so scary but so fun at the same time!

_"...Namekians are naturally a peaceful and friendly race,"_ Kaio explained. _"The Kami you had on Earth was probably contaminated with evil because of the influences and witnessing malicious human's actions; that's probably where Piccolo originated from."_

"Wow, I guess there are horrible things in every race then," Yajirobe mumbled to no one but himself.

"At least by using the Dragonballs of a different planet, we could even bring back Chaozu!" Master Roshi pointed out, "We wouldn't be able to have brought him back to life again with our Dragonballs since we've done it before!"

"Yeah! Good point!" Krillin nodded.

"Guys! I admire your optimism and all but I've got news!" Bulma bellowed, marching over to the two of them. "I've just made some calculations of how long it would take to get to this planet using the fastest engine my dad has – which I would like to point out would be the fastest in the world! Anyone wanna hazard a guess of how long it would take?"

No one answered, Hairiyu tried to work it out in her head but didn't know where to start!

"Try four-thousand-three-hundred-and-thirty-nine years and three months! I hope no one's in a rush to get there!" Bulma answered wryly.

Hairiyu gawked in awe. That was such a big number!

"... That's a long time..." Goku mumbled. "... Hey Kaio, any ideas?"  
_"... You've got me there..." _

"Ok maybe it is a long time but there might be a way to get there in far less time!"

Hairiyu looked back to Krillin curiously; what was he talking about?

"Oh? How exactly did you figure that one out?" Bulma raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "I just said that the fastest engine my dad has is the fastest engine on the planet! Nothing is gonna get us there any quicker!"

"Nothing that we ourselves have... but take a look at this!"

Krillin dug into his shirt and pulled out a small object.

"I picked this up from the battlefield. Vegeta used it to call his ship so I think it's some sort of remote control! The ship he came in was tiny; at most it could only fit one person inside of it! You know what that means right? The other Saiyan who died must have had a ship of his own!"

Bulma snatched the small rectangular object out of Krillin's hand. After a moment a smug smile crept across her face. "... This might actually work!"

The young girl couldn't help but smile. There was hope! With luck they could bring Piccolo and the others back to life!

-

The ship soon stopped; Hairiyu being carried by her mother. She didn't recognise where they were but the building they were heading towards was huge! Her body had stopped listening to her and now refused to move. She felt so tired and drained – not to mention cold from the cool air of the city. As her mother had led her out of the ship she'd seen some strange pods; she wondered what was in them.

The gang walked through the doors of the building towards a desk, Hairiyu's eyesight fading and blurring. She felt sleepy. The large room they were in was brightly lit and mainly white, a lot of chairs were scattered along the walls, people sitting in some of them. There was little to no noise here, just people talking or things being moved.

"We've got an emergency here..." Bulma's voice seemed to fade a little as Hairiyu felt her head grow lighter. What was wrong with her? She felt terrible; she'd never experienced this feeling before, not even with Piccolo's training. Was it the exhaustion of today, was it because she'd been so excited to see her mother again, was it because of all those who'd died around her?

Everything went dark, she felt her head slip back.

-

When her eyes opened, it was day. Hairiyu didn't recognise where she was and sat up, finding it a little difficult to do so.

Pain shot up her left arm and she flinched, she tried to grasp her arm but found something was stopping her. She looked and gasped; she had a cast on! That meant she'd broken her arm!

Panic began to take over; she'd injured herself and she had no idea where she was!

"Hey, glad to see you're up!"

It was Krillin!

"Where are we, Krillin? Where's my mama?" Hairiyu asked anxiously.

"We're at West City Hospital," Krillin explained, "They're healing the injuries we got from the battle yesterday. Lucky for you, me and Gohan that we don't have to stay here that long!"

"Gohan's here?" Hairiyu looked around and noticed he was sleeping on the bed next to her.

"The poor little guy looks bushed!" Krillin chuckled.

Hairiyu looked back over to him and noticed he had his arm in a sling. "... Did you break an arm too, Krillin?"

"Yeah, I got a couple of other injuries but nothing serious," Krillin rubbed his head. "Too bad we can't say the same for Goku though; he's gotta be bandaged up – they've been trying to do it all night!"

"Hello in here!"

The door opened and Chichi walked into the room.

"Hey Chichi," Krillin greeted.

Hairiyu watched the woman cautiously wondering if she'd knock Krillin down again!

She marched over to Gohan. "Everyone needs to get up and out of bed; the doctors want to give you three a check-up to get the full picture of your injuries!"

Hairiyu gulped; she didn't like the sound of that! "... Where's my mama?"

"Oh, sorry I forgot you asked!" Krillin apologised. "Bulma stayed here all night but she had to leave earlier this morning. She got some news from her dad about a ship we could use and she's the only one with the brains to be able to do anything with it!"

Hairiyu frowned and looked down at her lap. "... So she won't be here?"

"... Hey," Krillin stepped forward. "She didn't want to go kid... really, she was saying she wanted to stay by your bedside until you were better but she's the only one with the know-how about Saiyan technology. I'm sorry."

Hairiyu nodded silently. It was true; her mother was by far the smartest person she knew. Give her any machine and her mother could work out how to fix it or re-model and improve it. If only her mother had a smart-switch which Hairiyu could press on and off so Bulma could stay with her whilst she was in hospital...


	17. Chapter 016

**Chapter 016 - Destination Namek**

They were waiting for their check-up outside Goku's ward. They were to be moved into the same room as him once the nurses had finished bandaging him up.

The screams of blue murder coming from the other side of the door terrified Hairiyu to her soul! Was being bandaged up really that painful? It scared her to hear such a strong man screaming his lungs out. If it hurt him then how was she supposed to cope? Of all the times for her mother not to be here...

-

"You look ridiculous in that mummy suit, Goku!" Krillin sniggered.

"Yeah, I feel ridiculous!" Goku laughed. "At least you, Gohan and Hairiyu only have to stay here for a couple of nights; they're saying it'll take ages for me to make a full recovery and I might not even be able to do normal things! It wasn't the news I wanted!"

"Don't worry; in around another month the senzu tree will have new beans grown," Korin smiled. "I'll be sure to bring you them when they've finished growing."

"Thanks Korin," Goku nodded. "That'll be a great help!"

"Hey guys!" Bulma burst through the door... or at least someone who looked like Bulma! "Turn on the TV; I've got something to show you!"

Hairiyu would have smiled but the new look threw her off, so instead she tilted her head, "... You changed your hair again, mama. Didn't you like it anymore?"

"I got bored of it so I decided to change it! Come and see this, Hairiyu!" Bulma beamed as she switched the television on; the group edging closer to the small screen.

Hairiyu's eyes settled on the screen. A reporter was standing before what looked like a screen; what was behind the screen shocked her.

"The Saiyan's space ship!" Krillin gasped. "Oh that's just great! How are we meant to get it from them now?"

"Easy silly!" Bulma grinned. "All I have to do is press a couple of these buttons and then the ship will come to us! I spent most of last night trying to figure out how this thing works and I've got it all down to a T! Trust me I know what I'm doing!" Bulma pulled the tiny device Krillin had given her from her pocket, Hairiyu making note of the buttons she was pressing. "All I have to do is press these buttons here..." Bulma mumbled as she poked the device, eyes darting back to the screen. "I can't wait to see the look of surprise on their faces!"

The ship exploded, shattering the protective steel and making the reporter scream!

"Something's happened! The strange object has suddenly just exploded! Could it have been some kind of bomb? Stay tuned and we'll see what the leading scientists in the centre believe!"

Hairiyu's eyes were wide with disbelief. Something told her that hadn't been the plan!

"NOOOOOO!" Bulma screamed, "I TOLD MYSELF NOT TO PRESS THE SELF-DESTRUCT BUTTON!"

"Now what are we gonna do?" Krillin wailed, falling to the floor in shock. "... It's over... that ship was our last hope!"

-

Hairiyu was lost in her own thoughts for what felt like forever. The adults – mainly Krillin and Bulma - were arguing over the best course of action and how silly it had been that Bulma had broken the ship!

Bulma's sudden scream made Hairiyu jump, head bolting up as she frantically scanned the room.

"Mr Popo!" Krillin walked towards the window – again Hairiyu jumped when she realised there was a man standing... or floating... doing something on the other side! Was there a ledge there or was he floating? He looked quite strange to her; his skin was as dark as coal and his clothes were unlike anything Hairiyu'd ever seen anyone wear. The turban reminded her a little of Piccolo.

"W-What?" Bulma, Krillin and Master Roshi all gasped in unison.

"I'm not sure if it is a ship; someone who knows please come with me and I shall show them," the man on the other side of the window instructed.

"Well you heard him Bulma. I guess if anyone's gonna know what a ship looks like it'll be you!"

"M-Me?" Bulma squawked, taking a quick glance at Mr Popo. "... Doesn't he give any of you the creeps?"

Hairiyu looked the man they were calling Mr Popo up and down. He had very strange eyes.

She could see why her mother thought he was creepy.

"Krillin's right though Bulma; you're the technician here. You'd probably recognise what it is right away!" Master Roshi replied.

"... Fine. Alright then." Bulma slowly edged towards the window. "Just so you know, I've never ridden on a magic carpet before... It doesn't look that safe from here."

Hairiyu watched anxious as her mother slowly climbed out the window onto what looked like a floating carpet.

"Ok, I'm not as thick-skulled and strong as those guys in there; I'm a little fragile so be careful and don't fly too fast," Bulma sounded nervous.

"Here we go," Mr Popo nodded.

To everyone's shock, the two completely vanished into thin air!

"How'd they do that?" Master Roshi asked. "More to the point, who was that, Krillin?"

"That was Mr Popo; he helps Kami up on the lookout," Krillin replied, "It's said that he's been there far longer than even Kami has."

"I see," Master Roshi nodded. "Well let's hope what he's found really is a space ship."

Hairiyu nodded. Let's hope they still had a chance to wish everyone back...

-

"... And it got us all the way to Jupiter in under a minute!" Bulma added. "Based on the calculations I made, it'll get us to Planet Namek in just over a month! Of course the ship is gonna need to be revamped inside but it'll be perfect! I reckon it'll take about five days in total before we can blast off and go to Namek."

Bulma seemed incredibly excited. What Mr Popo had found had turned out to be Kami's ship – Hairiyu still wasn't entirely sure who Kami was apart from being the creator of the Dragonballs! She sat quietly, listening to the adults as they schemed. Eventually it came down to who was going on the mission...

"It looks like you're gonna have to go then, Bulma," Krillin stepped forward; his sentence attracting Hairiyu's attention. "You're the only one who knows anything about mechanics; if something went wrong with the ship you'd be the only one who would have a clue on what to do!"

_'Mama's going?'_ Hairiyu asked herself in her mind beginning to think to herself...

She didn't want her mother to get hurt. Although it made her feel anxious and a little scared thinking about it, there was part of her that wanted to do it for Piccolo, Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Chaozu. Plus she couldn't let anything bad happen to her mother! Piccolo had taught her how to fight, she had learnt how to fight so she could protect her mother.

It was a long-shot, she knew that.

"... Can I come with you, mama?" Hairiyu asked hopeful but not too confident she'd get the answer she wanted.

Bulma glanced over at her daughter, a mixture of emotions on her face. "I'm not sure if you should sweetie..." Her attention went elsewhere in the room. "You'll come with me won't you Krillin?"

Krillin seemed quite surprised Bulma'd nominated him but didn't look too eager about it. "Well I guess I could go. I was hoping to get some more training done for when the Saiyan returns..."

Hairiyu frowned. Now she felt frustrated.

"P-Please let me go with you."

Hairiyu looked over; Gohan had spoken out.

"G-Gohan, what kind of joke are you making?" Chichi was slowly rising from her seat.

"It's not a joke. I really want to go."

"If Gohan gets to go then why can't I go?" Hairiyu frowned in annoyance.

"Are you kidding me? Two more months... on top of an entire year I've already spent worrying about you and being away from you? Are you trying to say you don't want to spend time with your mother?" Chichi sounded like she was growing angry, Hairiyu wanted to move away a little but couldn't; she was bed-ridden!

"N-No, that's not it... I'm sorry mum but I really have to go. I wanna help gather the Dragonballs so we can wish everyone back to life. Everyone worked so hard to save the Earth and Piccolo even died for me. I have to bring him back to life with my own hands."

Goku smiled, "I see. Good for you, Gohan."

"What kind of nonsense are you two talking about?" Chichi snapped. "Gohan doesn't need to do anything like that! I've already spent an entire year worrying about my little boy's safety and now you want to just shoot off into space straight away! You've already missed out on an entire year's worth of education, young man! You're gonna fall way behind the other kids!"

Hairiyu gulped and slipped along her bed away from the others eyes wide in fear, _'Wow... Gohan's mama is really scary!'_

"... Your education is suffering because of all this nonsense!" Chichi continued. "Well I'm putting my foot down! I won't allow it; I absolutely forbid you to go Gohan! All I want is a normal family that does normal things and leads normal lives, is that too much to ask for? You shouldn't care about all this seriousness – you're just a little kid! You should be out playing and learning and being safe! Who cares about Piccolo; you're a kid so just act like one!"

"SHUT UP!" Gohan bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Apparently that had startled everyone in the room! Hairiyu was surprised but strangely impressed he'd dared to do that!

"M-Mum... Now's not the time for being a kid." Gohan stuttered. "I can't afford to be a normal child and not help everyone out. I have to be stronger. Everyone tried their best against the Saiyan; Piccolo even saved my life... I owe it to them. I'm really sorry I yelled at you, mum, please try to understand. I just have to go to Namek with Bulma and Krillin so I can help bring the others back to life."

"You lost, Chichi. Let Gohan go off into space with your blessing," Gyu Mao consoled his defeated daughter.

Hairiyu turned her attention back to her mother, now pleading silently with her. Bulma caught her eye and looked for a moment...

"Ok, you can come with us as well. It's not like there'll be anything dangerous there. Kaio did say that Namekians were mostly peaceful after all."

Hairiyu's face lit up and she grinned, "Thank you mama! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

-

The big white ship in front of her was huge! It was amazing it fit on Kame House's garden! Hairiyu had been staring at it for so long her neck was beginning to ache, yet she couldn't help it!

"Hey Bulma, are you sure this thing will fly? It doesn't seem to have any engines on it!"

"Shut up! It'll fly; trust me! My dad and I did not spend all that time fixing a spaceship that was designed for going off into space that did not have a working engine!"

Hairiyu took her attention away from the ship and back to her new present. Her mother had made a spacesuit for the two of them! Hairiyu had spent the past four days racing around the house in hers, floating about and playing games pretending she was in space. It had taken her mother and grandparents a while to get used to how much the child had changed. Piccolo's influence had run deep in her.

She couldn't help but feel the need to show it off!

"Look Krillin, mama made me a space suit! It's so cool!" She bounced up and down on the spot, catching Krillin by surprise.

"That thing looks pretty heavy," He mumbled. "I'm surprised you can even move in it!"

"It feels really light," Hairiyu shook her head, "... How comes you don't have a space suit, Krillin? Didn't you buy one?"

Eventually Gohan arrived; the jet landing on the small island.

It took a while for Gohan to get out the car and for good reason...

Hairiyu and Krillin burst out laughing.

Young Gohan stood glum and bashfully in front of them; school uniform neatly worn and bowl-cut blaringly obvious. A light blush came over his face as he painfully endured the sheer embarrassment.

He had a new haircut; clearly the choice of cut had been his mother's!

"What the heck happened to your head Gohan?" Krillin chuckled in amusement.

"Dad laughed at me too," Gohan mumbled, refusing to make eye-contact out of pure shyness and humiliation.

"You look like you've got a bowl on your head," Hairiyu wiped away a tear, unable to look at him in case she burst out laughing again.

"Ignore them Gohan; I think it makes you look adorable," Chichi muttered in annoyance.

Bulma sighed and stepped forward, "Alright you guys, we're leaving in five minutes," she declared, walking towards the entrance of the ship and climbing onto the lift.

"Hey, how come you have a school uniform on?" Hairiyu asked her friend as the two of them climbed onto the small platform.

"My mother gave it to me," Gohan replied, "You're lucky; you've got a space suit! Did your mother make it for you?"

"Yep," Hairiyu grinned proudly showing off her space suit. "She made one for herself as well. I don't think she made one for you guys."

"Now remember to be on your best behaviour Gohan," Gyu Mao smiled.

"Write to me every day," Chichi added, wiping her tears away. Hairiyu felt a little bad for Chichi now; her son was going away again and clearly she was going to miss him.

She was glad she was going with her mother, although she'd miss her grandparents.

"Bye mum, bye grandpa," Gohan smiled.

"Piccolo," Bulma muttered; the platform began to rise up towards the ship.

"Bye bye," Hairiyu waved at the shrinking people below.

"We'll be back soon!" Gohan added.

Hairiyu'd been inside the ship yesterday for the first time, so she felt a little special and smug that Gohan and Krillin were amazed by the ship! She hurriedly rushed past Krillin and sat in the centre seat she'd reserved for herself!

"Hey Bulma, where should we put our luggage?" Krillin asked.

"Anywhere is fine, just hurry up and sit down!" Bulma muttered. "Lift off is in five... four..."

Krillin and Gohan both panicked and frantically ran towards the seats either side of an eager Hairiyu.

"Three... two... one... Ignition!"

The ship violently shook, Hairiyu's fingers clenching the arms of her seat tightly. She was suddenly pushed down into her seat, finding the whole experience quite thrilling! It felt as if her stomach had just been pushed out of her feet and had been left behind! All she could do was clamp her eyes shut and hold on for dear life...

Finally the pushing feeling stopped. She breathed out and smiled.

"We've left Earth's atmosphere so feel free to clean up the mess you guys made!" Bulma snapped, referring to the large pile of clothes and toiletries which had been chucked from their cases amongst the excitement.

"That was fun!" Hairiyu exclaimed, a giant grin plastered across her face, "can we go back to Earth and do it again?"

Bulma made her way over towards the back of the room, opening the door before turning back to glare at the others, in particular at Krillin, "I'm going to get changed!" She muttered.

"Changed? Are you going to sleep already?" Krillin asked.

"Mind our own business!" Bulma snapped, slamming the door behind her.

For a couple of moments the trio just stared at the door in confusion;

"... Is your mum alright?" Krillin asked.

Hairiyu frowned, "I don't know. I think she's in a bad mood but I don't know why..."

Krillin folded his arms, "Strange... That's one thing I could never figure out about her! Come to think of it, I forgot to bring pyjamas! So, are you guys gonna be wearing those clothes all the way through the journey?"

Gohan smiled and ran over to one of his bags, "Mother made me wear this but I brought something along with me secretly." He began to rummage around in a back-pack, eventually pulling out an outfit very similar to that of which Piccolo'd given him.

"Wow, you're gonna dress like Piccolo!" Hairiyu smiled. "I brought something like that but mine's like what Piccolo gave me too!" She pulled out her own capsule case and threw one capsule out. In a puff of smoke a large wardrobe appeared; Hairiyu opening the doors and pulling out a uniform that closely resembled that of which Piccolo'd given to her.

Krillin seemed quite impressed with the both of them! "You guys must really respect Piccolo."

"Yeah, as much as my dad," Gohan smiled as he began to get changed.

"He trained us for a whole year after all," Hairiyu added, following Gohan's lead.

The door opened, the boys seemed slightly taken back to what Bulma was wearing; they didn't look like any kind of pyjamas any of them had ever seen.

"You're planning to sleep in those?" Krillin asked.

"They look uncomfortable," Gohan mumbled, slipping his shirt over his head and tucking it in.

"They're not pyjamas!" Bulma's brow twitched. "I decided to get changed after you two made me feel like a fool! Here I was getting all prepared for venturing off into space and getting all enthusiastic about it and you two have the nerve to just show up in casual clothes!"

Krillin gulped and turned to Gohan, "were we supposed to buy space suits or something? It's not like they sell them in every single shop now!"


	18. Chapter 017

**Chapter 017 - The Ambush on Namek**

It had been thirty-four days since the group had left Earth. Finally their journey was coming to an end...

"Hey guys, we're finally here!" Bulma declared, relieved to see the large green planet before them. Apparently the co-ordinates Kaio had given them had been correct.

"Finally, it felt like we we're never going to get here!" Krillin smiled.

Hairiyu rushed over to a window along with Gohan and Krillin, her eyes taking in the greenness of the planet in front of them.

"It looks so pretty," She mumbled lost in her thoughts.

"So this is Planet Namek; Piccolo's home planet?" Gohan asked eagerly.

"The radar definitely says this is Namek," Bulma nodded. "Ok you guys, strap yourselves in because we're about to enter the planet's atmosphere and it's going to be a bumpy ride!"

Hairiyu rushed over to her seat and strapped herself in. If takeoff had been fun, surely landing was also going to be fun? She couldn't wait!

The ship suddenly began to shake violently just as it had done when the group were blasting off. A red glow surrounded the vessel as it descended through the green skies, quickly getting closer and closer to the surface. The pressure made their heads spin as their ears struggled to adjust fast enough to the changing air pressure, stomachs being left up in space as gravity pulled them down.

With a tremendous shudder the ship finally made contact with the ground; stomachs pelting back inside of the crew.

The sight out of the window took her breath away and baffled her. "Wow... Look at the sky and the water!" Hairiyu exclaimed. "It's green!"

"Looks like we've landed safely!" Bulma got out of her seat and walked towards a small machine.

Hairiyu knew her mother was talking but she couldn't wait! She had to step outside onto this new world! Eagerly she followed Gohan and Krillin, jumping on the spot in excitement as the ship door opened, lowering to the ground. Anxious and too impatient to wait she jumped off the panel and landed on the blue grass. "I touched the ground first!" She cheered.

"Aww, I wanted to be the first one..." Gohan frowned as he and Krillin stepped off the ship.

The three warriors took in the scenery around them.

"Wow, this place sure looks like the area Piccolo trained me and Hairiyu in," Gohan mumbled.

"I guess he must have trained you there because it felt a bit like home." Krillin suggested.

Hairiyu gulped and clenched her fists. She had to remember that was why they were here; it wasn't for sightseeing, it was to bring their dead friends back to life. First they needed to find the Dragonballs...

"WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Bulma bellowed at the top of her lungs startling the others. "YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!"

"...What's wrong with you?" Krillin asked intimidated and a little taken back.

"Think about it you morons! What if you'd come out here and suffocated because there was no oxygen?" Bulma pointed out sternly.

Hairiyu gulped; she didn't like the sound of that!

"Well you're out here Bulma," Krillin replied.

"That's because I checked the atmosphere first!" Bulma huffed folding her arms. "Honestly you guys are so reckless!"

"Hey mama, where's the Dragon Radar?" Hairiyu asked, "We should look at it to see where the nearest Dragonball is so we can bring everyone back to life!"

Bulma reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out the small device, clicking the button on the top. She blinked in surprise, quickly smiling. "Hey, there are three Dragonballs gathered up all together!" She pointed at the screen.

"Three Dragonballs... together?" Krillin repeated raising one eyebrow and not sharing Bulma's optimism. "That's strange..."

"Krillin, I'm sensing some big power levels over in that direction." Gohan pointed.

It hit her almost instantly; she was surprised she didn't sense them before. "... Yeah, I can sense them too, Gohan," Hairiyu nodded.

"I wonder what that could be."

"Don't get too worked up over it; it's probably just the Namekians," Bulma pointed out. "You remember how high Piccolo's power level was? I'm sure all the Namekians are like that – only the difference between Piccolo and the other Namekians is that the other Namekians aren't evil!"

"That's the problem; these feel evil," Krillin replied cautiously, face ridden with seriousness.

"I'm telling you you're all worrying over nothing," Bulma insisted. "Kaio said so himself that the Namekians are a peaceful race; there's no way you can be sensing anyone evil among them!"

"... Yeah but..." Hairiyu was confused by what she was hearing and what she was sensing. If these where Namekians they were sensing then why was she getting a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach?

"M-Maybe you're right Bulma," Krillin smiled, "Maybe it is just us getting worked up over nothing! I almost feel kinda silly, don't you two?" He began to laugh.

Gohan and Hairiyu exchanged unsure glances with one another, neither not sure what to make of it all.

A high pitched sound came from up above; the small group turned their eyes to the skies, quickly spotting the falling object.

Hairiyu's jaw dropped, "K-Krillin... what's that?"

"... Is that... a..." Bulma's voice was shaky.

It was!

"What the heck is that doing here?" Krillin's voice was shaking with fear and shock.

"That's a Saiyan spaceship!" Hairiyu cried in disbelief.

"NOOOO!" Bulma screamed slapping her hands onto her cheeks. "You've got to be kidding me!"

The small round dot vanished below the horizon.

"This is just great! Why'd he have to be here? It's Vegeta, I knew it!" Krillin sounded furious; Hairiyu's eyes were still fixated on the spot the ship had vanished from so she didn't see his face. Was it really her father? It had to be; the ship she'd seen him looked exactly the same as the one that had just flown by!

"Damn it! That bastard knows about the Dragonballs! I'll bet anything he's here to get his wish!" Krillin snarled.

"Wish?" Bulma repeated. "Oh no! If he gets the Dragonballs before us then we won't be able to make OUR wish! We'll be done for!"

"Damn it!" Krillin spat. "I wish I'd finished him off on Earth! At least that way he'd have been out of the way! Gohan, Hairiyu; both of you suppress your ki so he doesn't pick us up on his weird device!"

"Right!" Gohan and Hairiyu chanted together manipulating their energies.

Inside Hairiyu felt a little thrilled that her father was on the planet, even though the rest of her dreaded the looming battle that was to come. Her father was a terrifyingly powerful opponent and could easily take the three of them out; Hairiyu didn't want to die!

"... Ok, here's the plan," Krillin muttered, "Bulma, you go back to Earth and get Goku. By the time you arrive Goku should hopefully almost be fully recovered. Grab him and get back here as fast as you can! Gohan, Hairiyu and I will just have to wait for you to return and in the mean time we'll try and get at least one Dragonball. Hurry!"

"Right," Bulma sighed getting to her feet. "... I really don't feel comfortable leaving you three – particularly my own daughter – on a planet with Vegeta of all people but... but it looks like there's nothing else I can do. I'll go grab Goku as fast as I can but I think you guys ought to know the whole trip will take a little over two months..."

"T-Two months?" Hairiyu squawked in incredulity.

"It's only two months... Just two months!" Bulma cried hysterically. "Don't worry though; two months is only sixty days; that's just one-thousand-four-hundred-and-forty hours; eighty-six-thousand-four-hundred minutes; five-million-one-hundred-and-eight-four-thousand seconds! All you have to do is make sure you don't die in that space of time!"

"Um... Sure... it's only two months..." Krillin mumbled nervously.

Hairiyu took a deep breath and tried to swallow the nerves threatening to block her throat. There was no way they'd last that long!

-

Bulma was in the middle of a conversation on the phone talking to those on Earth. Nearby, Hairiyu stood alongside Gohan and Krillin watching the surrounding area. Nothing much had happened for a while and there was no sign of any movement.

Their worst fears had been confirmed; Vegeta was on the planet. Hairiyu could sense his ki, as could the other two beside her. Her stomach was in so many knots it made her feel sick. That wasn't the only problem they faced...

That high-pitched sound had returned again.

Bulma seemed to be quiet; the phone-call apparently over. "... What's wrong?"

"Nothing... Just that." Krillin pointed to the sky.

Judging by the high squeal of shock that had come from her mother's throat, Hairiyu guessed she too had spotted what appeared to be the same ship falling from the sky! Hairiyu had a large bout of déjà vu just watching it, reliving that dreaded moment! Yet this time it didn't make sense; Vegeta was already on the planet!

"ANOTHER ONE?" Bulma squawked.

"Yeah, another one!" Krillin nodded anxiously.

"B-B-But I don't understand!" Bulma shivered clinging to the leg of the ship. "I t-thought Vegeta was the only Saiyan still around! What the heck is going on?"

"I don't really understand it either but it doesn't really matter who that was; no doubt they're just another bad guy trying to get the Dragonballs!" Krillin frowned disheartened. "... As if it wasn't bad enough that we've gotta compete with Vegeta. Now there are also those other evil guys we can sense! How are we meant to get the Dragonballs from guys like that?"

"... Well, maybe if we're lucky..." Gohan started. "... maybe we can do it!"

"It's a slim chance at best, kid," Krillin didn't seem convinced. "Bulma, you'd better get back to Earth now! Gohan, Hairiyu and I will do our best to survive and come up with a plan while you go and get Goku!"

"Y-Yeah, I guess you're right." Bulma hurriedly walked over to her daughter; Hairiyu feeling a little anxious her mother was leaving. She had to go though; she was the only one who knew how to fly the ship, plus Hairiyu, Gohan and Krillin were probably far better suited to surviving in this environment. Still, she was a five-year-old who hated being away from her mother.

Bulma's arms tightly wrapped around her daughter.

"Don't you dare die on me, any of you!" She ordered, kissing her daughter on the forehead.

Hairiyu relished the feeling and safety of her mother's arms, shocked and saddened it was over so soon. She sadly watched her mother making her way over towards the ship entrance.

"You guys have fun for the next couple of months!"

"Wait a minute," Krillin was quick off the mark.

Hairiyu and Gohan both looked at him, as did Bulma.

"... Maybe we all just ought to go back to Earth!"

"What?" Gohan blinked in shock.

"If we did that then how would we get the Dragonballs here?" Hairiyu asked.

Krillin looked at the young children, "Listen, I understand we do need to get the Dragonballs but look at all the people here looking for them! I'm quite happy to stay here but it's you two I'm worried about! Neither of you have been fighters for long, plus I'd hate to think what would happen if anything happened to either of you; your mothers would kill me, right Bulma?"

Bulma frowned and turned to face them. "So what are you saying, Krillin?"

"I'm saying let's just all go back to Earth for now and come back next year!" Krillin suggested. "We'll just let these guys have their wish and then get ours next time!"

"If we do that, Vegeta will get his wish and come back to Earth afterwards," Gohan pointed out. "We'd still have to face him."

"Yeah, he's right," Hairiyu agreed. "Didn't my dad say he was gonna wish for immortality? Doesn't that mean he won't be able to be defeated if he comes back to Earth?"

Krillin frowned in annoyance; damn it these kids were too smart for their own good!

"Think about it. These guys might get their wish and then do the same as what King Piccolo did..." Bulma added. "Shenron might be killed and then the Dragonballs will become useless..."

Krillin folded his arms; he seemed a little anxious for some reason.

Hairiyu's attention was grabbed by something and she spun on his heels, scowl quickly covering her young face. "Krillin, something's coming this way!"

Gohan and Krillin both span on their heels and turned to the direction the approaching energy was coming from. The three watched in anticipation while Bulma ran behind one of the legs of the ship. "Hey guys, who is it? Who can you sense?"

"I'm not sure but make sure you keep well hidden, Bulma," Krillin ordered. "It might be Namekians or it might be trouble..."

Gohan kept his eyes peeled on a small island ahead of them; it felt as if there was something there...

Three tall aliens suddenly emerged from behind a large boulder; Gohan and Hairiyu gasping in unison, Krillin's eyes widening in shock. "Definitely trouble!" He gulped.

"They're wearing Saiyan uniforms!" Hairiyu added. "They don't look like Saiyans though..."

The three soldiers seemed to have spotted the gang and turned their attention towards them, flying slowly for them through the air.

Krillin recovered from his state of shock and watched them cautiously, "guys keep your power levels down. We don't wanna start any unnecessary fights that we can't win."

"Right," Gohan nodded obediently.

Suddenly one of the three fighters raised one arm and pointed to the ship.

In a blinding flash of light, a weak energy beam shot out from the device strapped to his arm and bolted straight through the space ship!

Bulma had managed to dodge the beam and fell onto her front.

"Mama!" Hairiyu gasped fearfully.

The damage to the ship was heart-wrenching. The front window had completely cracked under the pressure and there was a gaping hole in the top of the ship. There was no way they'd be able to use it now!

"Those jerks!" The Krillin growled angrily. "Gohan, Hairiyu; release your ki!"

The soldiers above seemed to find something rather amusing and burst out into fits of laughter as the three began to power up, although there was no physical hint of this. Numbers began to bleep across their scouters as the machines picked up the increase in energy.

"Let's go!" Krillin roared.

Within a flash the three fighters had teleported, reappearing level with their shocked opponents. Gohan slashed his fist into one of the fighter's cheeks; Hairiyu kicking one of them in the jaw; Krillin leaping over his opponent's head, spun and kicked him in the face. All three soldiers collided into one another as they flew backwards, each falling into the large sea surrounding them. None of them surfaced.

Krillin, Gohan and Hairiyu landed safely back onto their small island and smiled at each other.

"Nice work you two," Krillin praised them.

"WHAT PART OF THIS WHOLE ORDEAL WAS NICE?" Bulma bellowed at the top of her lungs. "In case you haven't noticed, our ship was damaged! Now there's no way we can get home! I can't go back to get Goku; we can't even get off this stinking planet!" She fell to her knees and began to sob.

"Please don't cry, mama," Hairiyu frowned; she hated seeing her mother cry. The young girl ran over and gently hugged her sobbing mother.

Krillin looked up at the ship and exhaled slowly. "... Looks like we need a new plan... Before we do anything else, we'd better find a place to hide in case more of those guy's friends show up. They weren't Saiyans but they were dressed like them, so there's a chance they're in the same group as Vegeta. We're sitting ducks if we stay out here in the open so let's go find somewhere else."

"Don't worry Bulma; I'm sure the Namekians will help us fix our ship if we ask them nicely," Gohan smiled.

"I wish I shared all of your youthful optimism!" Bulma choked in annoyance.


	19. Chapter 018

**Chapter 018 - Attack on the Namekian Village**

The journey away from the ship was slow-paced and taxing. With every passing minute all four were on edge, waiting for the next of the Saiyan-clothed soldiers to appear and try to claim their lives. Krillin led the small group across the hilly ground.

As they walked, Hairiyu looked around at the scenery. It was an unusual place, similar to Earth yet so different. The colours of the sky and grass had swapped and it seemed as if they were surrounded by islands. It felt so alien yet what Gohan had said earlier was true; it seemed similar to the place Piccolo had trained both of them before the Saiyans arrived.

That was right; they were here to bring Piccolo back. This was his home planet, his home planet's Dragonballs they were trying to collect. Hairiyu hoped they could somehow do it...

The grassy bank up ahead of them inclined upwards slightly and led towards a large wall of rock. Hairiyu took her tired mother's hand and pulled her along; her mother sounded out of breath. Hairiyu couldn't help but think she was far too weak and should exercise more, or at least that's what Piccolo would have said!

"Come on you two! We're sitting ducks out here!" Krillin yelled at Hairiyu and Bulma; he was quite a distance ahead of them, Gohan not too far behind him.

"Oh hush up! Some of us can't walk quickly forever like you guys!" Bulma snapped back. "Why can't you guys just fly me?"

"We'd like to but we can't," Hairiyu frowned.

"Yeah, if we did that then we'd have to expend some of our ki; they'd pick us up on their radars for sure and then would come after us again," Gohan explained.

It didn't take much longer before Krillin spoke to them again, this time with better news!

"Look Bulma, there's a cave. We'd be hard to find if we set up camp in there!" He pointed.

Bulma glanced up at the cave and sniffed. "... Great... First our ship breaks and now I have to spend my time living in a cave!"

Hairiyu frowned and looked at the ground. Her mother had never been a bare essencials person; living in the wilderness with no electronics for a year had really taught Hairiyu things about life. She'd been born into a world full of man-made devices and had hundreds of different toys, capsules and things to keep her occupied. When Piccolo had taken her and Gohan to that deserted wasteland, she'd initially found it hard to cope because there had been nothing there to entertain her; all the electronics, toys and household items had gone! She'd learnt to deal with that because she hadn't been given a choice. Her mother's current reaction was how Hairiyu'd also felt back then.

Something had caught Gohan's attention.  
"...Hey Krillin, I'm sensing some ki signals over there," he pointed.

"Yeah, I can sense it too. It feels different from those ones before so this time it might actually be some Namekians." Krillin acknowledged, looking into the distance with a look of concentration.

Hairiyu smiled. "Does that mean we can go back and get the ship and see if they can fix it?" She asked hopefully.

Krillin was about to answer when suddenly his expression changed.

"EVERYONE, GET INSIDE THE CAVE! SOMETHING'S COMING STRAIGHT FOR US!"

Sensing it almost at the same time as when Krillin had yelled Hairiyu acted on instinct, grabbed her mother and leapt through the cave mouth, Krillin and Gohan doing the same.

"Y-You know I've been meaning to ask you just how you guys can tell these things..." Bulma muttered in confusion.

"Shush, they're coming!" Krillin hissed through gritted teeth.

Hairiyu gulped, knowing full well why Krillin was so nervous; these energy signals were all powerful and it felt as if there were about ten or fifteen of them. One in particular was insane compared to the rest; it made Hairiyu's hair stand on end.

Krillin cautiously peered outside of the cave.

"Do you think they spotted us?" Gohan asked quietly.

"I'm not sure," Krillin mumbled, jerking violently back inside when he spotted them on the horizon. "They're here!"

In a flash it all happened. Powerful warriors shot across the entrance from one side to the other, bolting past in the longest few seconds Hairiyu'd ever experienced. Each warrior knocked more breath from her lungs, mentally slapping her and chopping down her hopes.

Within a couple of seconds they'd passed.

She couldn't believe what she'd felt. It was absolutely petrifying! Her feet slipped below her and she sank to the floor, scared and unable to comprehend what she'd felt. She couldn't breathe, as much as she huffed there wasn't enough oxygen in her body, her heart couldn't take it. That one power had knocked all her confidence and senses from her and left her terrified and her resolve broken.

"Gohan, Hairiyu!" Krillin barked.

Hairiyu looked up, out of her trance, before getting to her feet.

"Did either of you two see the guy flying second from the lead?" Krillin asked.

"Yeah," Gohan nodded. "... I felt his power too."

"... His power was huge," Hairiyu shuddered as the fear rebounded throughout her small frame again.

"Yeah, no kidding," Krillin agreed. "The others were strong too but him... If what we've just sensed is any indication, this guy is definitely a lot more powerful than Vegeta!" He clasped his fists in anger. "They've already got four of the Dragonballs! How are we meant to deal with monsters like these?"

"Hold on a second; how can they be stronger than Vegeta?" Bulma gasped.

"I- I don't know... but they just are." Krillin muttered grimly.

"Krillin, they were all wearing the same clothes as dad and those other guys from before," Hairiyu pointed out. "Do you think they're all together?"

"They could well be," Krillin shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not sure what's going on..."

Bulma had looked down at the Dragon Radar and immediately looked back up worried, "Guys, I'm not sure how but they're heading straight for another Dragonball!" She exclaimed.

Krillin rushed over and glanced at the radar. "... Damn it... They must have radar as well! Bulma, what direction is that in?"

"I'd say about ten kilometres over in that direction," Bulma pointed.

"That's where we felt some Namekians," Gohan realised.

Krillin gulped and stepped forward out of the cave. "... Alright, I'm gonna go and check this out."

"I'm going too!" Gohan was quick to answer.

"What? Are you guys nuts?" Bulma snapped. "You're all saying these guys are stronger than Vegeta and yet you want to go towards them?"

"They've got four of the Dragonballs already and are heading straight for a fifth!" Krillin scowled, removing his weighted undershirt. "We might as well see how they operate and try and spot an opening..."

Hairiyu glanced up determined not to show the fear she still felt. "C-Can I go with you, Krillin?"

"WHAT?" Bulma screamed in horror. "You're going as well? Hairiyu I'm not gonna let you go charging off to an early death!"

"It'll be alright though, mama," Hairiyu frowned pleadingly. "We're not gonna try and fight with them. Please let me go."

"I'll make sure she doesn't get herself into any trouble," Krillin added; his backing making Hairiyu smile in relief.

Bulma closed her eyes and clenched her fists.

"... Please?" Hairiyu frowned, big blue eyes focused directly on her mother.

Bulma took a quick glance at her daughter before turning her glare to Krillin. "...Fine but you'd better keep both of them out of trouble Krillin!"

Hairiyu grinned and cheered happily.

"You guys had better all be careful," Bulma added angrily. "I'm counting on you to defend a fragile lady like myself from the monsters here!"

"No problem," Krillin turned to Gohan and Hairiyu, "Make sure you both keep your ki repressed; we're gonna run all the way there so as they don't sense us coming."

"Ok," Hairiyu gulped.

"Right," Gohan nodded anxiously.

"Let's go!" Krillin charged forwards and leapt at lightning speed; Gohan and Hairiyu right behind his lead.

-

The blue islands and green waters rushed underneath them like a blur. The warriors continued to run at a reasonable pace, not putting too much effort into running in fear that they would be sensed by their enemies. If it was the case they were in the same group as Vegeta then it would be likely they'd have scouters.

Hairiyu wasn't sure how to feel. On one hand she felt like an explorer in an unknown world, ready to uncover all the hidden secrets waiting to be found. On the other hand she knew where they were going was dangerous and could potentially be their resting place!

Krillin spoke out, "Ok you guys, we're gonna walk the rest of the way."

He landed on a small incline; Gohan and Hairiyu stopping either side of him. "Remember to keep your energy suppressed so they don't sense us here. Keep close to the ground and stay quiet."

Hairiyu looked down at the ground ahead of her nervously. She didn't really like being so close to a terrifyingly powerful bunch of bad guys but she didn't want the others to know she was scared. She chose to be brave like the boys seemed to be, completely unaware that the two themselves were also apprehensive about the idea!

Krillin led them up a small slope to the edge of the cliff, all three practically hugging the ground as they peered over the edge – the three main powerhouses of the group were facing their direction. Krillin gasped and pulled the children back down the small incline. "Trust us to pick the ledge facing them," he muttered terrified. Luckily nothing seemed to be happening; they hadn't been spotted. He ushered the two backwards some more, "Let's try over there."

"Ok," Gohan nodded in a whisper. The trio wandered over to the left around the craterous drop, peering over another ledge, bellies down on the ground.

At least here they weren't directly in the group's eye-line; they were behind their line of vision which was an added bonus.

"... Hey, the buildings down there look a lot like our ship." Gohan mumbled.

"Yeah, you're right," Krillin nodded in a hushed voice.

"So then this definitely is a Namekian village," Hairiyu added. "You were right after all."

"Where are the others who were with those three?" Krillin asked out loud, quickly inhaling fast. "Look! They've got some Dragonballs!"

Hairiyu looked down at the three men below and gasped, spotting the huge orange balls under two of the men's arms. Were they Dragonballs? They were gigantic; a lot bigger than those she'd seen in pictures and the one she'd seen on Gohan's hat!

"I can't believe the size of them!" Krillin exclaimed.

To their horror, one of the men – a stumpy pink man – seemed to look over in their direction! Fearing the worst the trio shot down as close to the ground as they could...

It was a while before they dared to move. Nothing seemed to be happening. Hairiyu slowly breathed out as her body trembled with fear.

"That was too close..." Krillin whispered. Cautiously he peered over the ledge once more, signalling to the others that it was safe to watch again.

Hairiyu watched cautiously as a few more of the men appeared, a couple of them walking out one of the houses.

Some of the men were the spitting image of him!

"They look just like Piccolo," Hairiyu gasped in a hushed voice.

"They must be Namekians," Krillin nodded in shock. "They definitely share a resemblance with Piccolo and Kami."

"I wonder what they're gonna do with the Namekians. Those men are dressed like Saiyans," Gohan whispered. "... You don't think they're all Saiyans?"

"No, they have the same uniforms but they're not Saiyans," Krillin replied. "Vegeta should be the only Saiyan left – besides you two and Goku... Come to think of it, Goku's brother did mention they used to sell planets to clients. I wonder if these guys are in on it too. I can't see Vegeta down there though."

Down below, the five Namekians – three elders and two children – were surrounded by half a dozen soldiers and had been brought forward towards the stronger fighters of the group. For what felt like forever, the two groups spoke, their voices too hushed for Hairiyu to make out what they were saying. She felt anxious; the Namekians seemed to be growing more restless whilst the others seemed to be calm. What was going to happen? Were the Namekians going to be alright?

Suddenly one of the three stronger fighters – the slim, green-haired one – teleported! In the blink of an eye he reappeared and booted one of the elder Namekians in the neck. Hairiyu watched in horror as the old Namekian's ki vanished.

Another elder reacted with fury and tried to blast the fighter – failing and hitting one of the weaker soldiers in the process. The green-haired man had jumped into the air and tossed a hand down, firing down a blast that was more than enough to kill the elder, that of which it did. The other elder fell to the ground, body smoking and charred from the heat of the attack.

That man had just effortlessly killed two of the Namekians with no provocation! Hairiyu couldn't stand it; those Namekians hadn't stood a chance! Yet the power she'd felt from that one fighter... he was more than enough to take her and her friends down and he wasn't even the strongest out of their group! It sent chills through her body.

"How could they? It's horrible!" Krillin snarled in a hushed voice so as not to grab the group's attention.

"How awful..." Gohan glared down at the group below, fists trembling with a mixture of rage and fear. The sheer feel of the fighter's energy in that one split second was far more powerful than anything he'd ever sensed.

Hairiyu clung to the grass as tightly as she could; from what she'd just sensed she knew there was no way any of them would be a match for these guys. She didn't feel particularly safe being here anymore but she didn't want to look like a scaredy-cat in front of the others. Her anger had been overpowered. Fear swept through her body as she tried to restrain herself from running away, heart thumping through her ribcage as if it would explode. "... He killed them..." she trembled. "Is he gonna kill all of them?"

"Don't know," Krillin replied. "Just keep your ki down Hairiyu, it's starting to bubble. Just calm down and concentrate on hiding your ki."

"O-Ok."

The conversation became a little easier to hear as the wind died down and Hairiyu was able to pick out words.

She picked up on what the last elder Namek was saying "... Why do you want the Dragonballs? What will you wish for?"

"Oh, only a small wish," The strongest man had been doing most of the talking. He was in the centre of it all between the two other strong men. Judging by the feel of his power, Hairiyu was confident to hazard a guess that he was the leader.

"I want eternal life."

"That's the same wish as what Vegeta was after." Krillin mumbled.

"... Maybe they're not together after all then..." Gohan suggested uncertain.

"Maybe," Krillin nodded. "I don't know what's going on anymore."

"Be gone," the elder spat, "I cannot give the Dragonballs to a fiend like you even if it means my life."

Hairiyu gulped; those words didn't sound like the smart thing to say but she was glad the Namekians weren't gonna hand over another Dragonball. She did worry for the remaining elder and the children's safety. She couldn't help but have a bad feeling about this.

"The people of this planet sure are a stubborn lot... Tell me though; would you still remain so stubborn even if it meant the lives of those children?"

Hairiyu gasped in horror and disgust. Had she really heard that right? This man was horrible! Would he really go that far to get the Dragonball?

"Those barbarians!" Krillin seemed just as disgusted and far more agitated by it all. His attention quickly turned to the other young fighter beside him. "Gohan, keep your energy down or they'll spot us!"

Hairiyu looked over at Gohan. He did not look happy; his fists were clenched and shaking and she could feel his ki was bubbling slightly. Now she grew worried; what if they sensed him? She felt his pain though; she wished there was something she could do to help the Namekians!


	20. Chapter 019

**Chapter 019 - The Namekian Resistance**

Once again the pink blob of a fighter looked in their direction, Hairiyu instantly ducking down and clamping her eyes shut. Had they just been spotted?

Eventually she looked quickly up at the sky ahead trying to keep herself calm, double-taking as she spotted something. Three dots appeared ahead of them and were growing larger. Fear and angst bolted throughout her small body; she wanted to run away but couldn't in case she was spotted! She concentrated on the dots trying to distinguish if they were more soldiers... They didn't have evil energies... Could they be...?

Krillin and Gohan had both spotted them as well, "... Who are they?" Gohan asked in a hushed voice.

Three pairs of feet slapped onto the ground; three Namekians landed amongst the small group of villagers.

"They're Namekians," Gohan gawked in awe.

"I didn't even sense them coming until they arrived," Krillin nodded.

"They look even more like Piccolo than those other Namekians do," Hairiyu mumbled awestruck. The resemblance was uncanny – it scared her in a way just how much they looked like her late mentor!

The Namekian warriors did not seem happy as they exchanged words with the bad guys.

"You must be the cruel fiends killing Namekians for Dragonballs." One stepped forward.

"We'll make you regret destroying Namek's hard-earned peace," another threatened.

The pink strong man pressed what Hairiyu knew was one of those devices the Saiyans had used to read power levels. Why was it so many people seemed to need those things? Didn't they know sensing ki was easy?

It seemed the soldiers weren't worried as they'd begun to laugh, yet Hairiyu couldn't figure out why. The Namekians were suppressing their ki; the soldiers were no match for them. So did that mean those scouters couldn't detect suppressed energy? Hairiyu guessed it must be so; those three soldiers that had destroyed their ship earlier had no idea just how outclassed they were...

"Can't they figure out that the Namekians are suppressing their ki?" Krillin asked stunned.

"The Saiyans didn't seem to be able to figure that out either..." Gohan mumbled.

"KILL THEM!" One soldier screamed as they all charged in on their surrounded opponents brimming with confidence and blood-lust.

The Namekians were ready. Within an instant the battle had begun; the three Namekians having no trouble beating down their opponents. One soldier flew into the rocky wall of the surrounding cliffs, landing in a dishevelled heap; others were flying left, right and centre as the Namekian warriors quickly began to overwhelm the confused soldiers. A blast from one native fighter sent one soldier bolting backwards towards Zarbon, who merely kicked the soldier into the nearby waters rather than be hit by him; seemingly indifferent who whose side the man was on.

From up above Hairiyu cheered inside, a smile appearing on her face for the first time in a while. The Namekians were holding their own against the soldiers and seemed to be winning. "Go Namekians," she cheered quietly, struggling to suppress her joy.

That's it, go get them," Krillin smiled.

Their joy quickly faded as the stumpy pink fighter placed his Dragonballs down, swinging his arms around as if preparing for battle.

In a sudden and unexpected move, the last elder jumped up into the air and fired off what appeared to be three random shots – one of them hitting the pink fighter in the face and blowing up the small device! His actions baffled Hairiyu; what was he trying to do? There was no way the elderly Namekian could beat that giant pink fighter and the other two people he'd struck were already down!

The green-haired man perked up, "He was after the scouters!" He cried.

"Scouters?" Krillin repeated quietly.

"They must be those things on their faces that detect power levels," Gohan mumbled.

Krillin gasped, "I get it now! The elder really got them good! Those scouters are probably what they were using to track down the Dragonballs! It's not that they knew the location of the Dragonballs; it was just that they could track down the Namekians and then take the Dragonballs from them!"

"... So the Namekian worked it out and broke them?" Hairiyu realised. "Wow, he's smart... but won't that have made those guys angry now?"

It was a rhetorical question and thankfully no one answered!

"That's it! Now you're gonna die!" The pink man bolted up into the air headed straight for the elder Namekian, within inches of the defenceless man in seconds and about to deliver the final blow-

"DODORIA!" the leader bellowed; his cry stopping his henchman in his tracks. "I want you to take care of these young ones first!"

Begrudgingly the pink fighter bolted back towards the ground, landing heavily on two feet in front of the three young Namekians who apparently were done with the foot soldiers.

Hairiyu gulped nervously. The Namekians seemed a little confident since they outnumbered him three-to-one. Yet this didn't seem to bother the pink man...

It happened so fast. Dodoria's clawed hand rammed straight through one of the Namekian's back, piercing through and protruding out of his stomach. With no effort he yanked his hand out from the Namekian's back and turned, suddenly expelling out a blast from his mouth and catching another Namekian by surprise, incinerating his body as the blast struck. Both Namekian warriors collapsed to the floor. Both were dead.

Krillin, Gohan and Hairiyu all gasped in horror alongside the other Namekians down below; none of them could believe how strong this fighter was!

The last remaining fighter Namekian was on guard; he barely managed to avoid being struck down by Dodoria's powerful fist, dodging a couple more thrusts before bolting backwards to open up a gap between them. Dodoria chuckled and lunged forward towards the Namekian who'd pulled both hands back. With a bellow the Namekian threw his hands out in front of him, launching off a large energy blast.

There was a tremendous explosion as Dodoria collided with the oncoming attack, dust and light thrown about the immediate area, wind sweeping across the ground. Through the dust the Namekian watched and waited, trying to spot anything that resembled his opponent on the ground...

Through the clearing smoke Dodoria emerged unharmed, much to the Namekian fighter's shock and dismay.

"It's no good," Krillin bared his teeth, "an attack at that magnitude won't stop this guy!"

Dodoria charged at his opponent head-on, ramming the Namekian with his spiky skull; spikes shallowly piercing the Namekian as he pushed him ever closer to the wall of solid rock. A horrendous crack echoed loudly alongside the Namekian's scream as he was crushed up against the rocky cliff-face, body falling limp over Dodoria. The chunky fighter landed on both feet and pulled his head away from his opponent; the Namekian slumped against the wall, dead.

Hairiyu could barely breathe. The situation was horrible – it was horribly one-sided in favour of these evil men! As much as she was too scared to do anything, she wished there was someone around to beat all these men up so all could end well.

"Do you see how pointless resistance is?" the leader called up to the elder. "Now why don't you come down, sir?"

The elder Namekian landed back on the ground in front of the remaining children.

"A wise decision I must say," the leader smiled. "Now then, since you destroyed our scouters I suggest you hand over the Dragonball as an apology. You've seen how we deal with things so I advise you not to be a stubborn fool, not unless you want those children to die."

The elder bared his teeth in fury, "You fiend!" He hissed. "... If I give you the Dragonball will you promise to leave and not hurt the children?"

The leader seemed to give a small nod or maybe he just looked trustworthy; either way the Namekian elder vanished into one of the houses and soon returned.

Hairiyu's heart sank. It was another Dragonball.

"You should have done this in the beginning; you could have saved a lot of those deaths from happening," the leader smiled eagerly.

Up on the cliff above, Gohan's anger and frustration was beginning to boil. "Those monsters... they won't get away with this!" He snarled grasping the grass tightly in his clenched palms.

Krillin's attention bolted over towards the young boy, "whoa Gohan, don't get any crazy ideas about jumping in. There's nothing you or I can do about any of this; we'd just be needlessly slaughtered by these guys."

"Here is your precious Dragonball; take it and leave!" the elder spat, handing the Dragonball over.

"Good, now before we leave you may as well tell us the location of the remaining two Dragonballs," the small leader smiled. "You did destroy our scouters after all."

"Never!" The elder barked back. "I will never betray a fellow Namekian even if it means my life! Do as you promised and leave!"

Frieza sighed and shook his head, "The people of this planet sure are a stubborn breed. You and the children will have to die after all..."

"WHAT?" The elder gasped.

Dodoria bolted forwards, elbowing the elder right between his eyes, sending him rolling backwards into one of the small houses.

Hairiyu was so shocked and stunned by what she'd seen. The last elder of this Namekian village had just been struck down despite doing what he was told! What kind of people were they dealing with? It sent waves of fear and sorrow through her; this wasn't right! This was cruel and she hated how she had to stay and watch it!

Gohan bared his teeth in frustration as he watched. "That monster!" His rage was beginning to bubble.

Krillin placed his hands on Gohan's shoulders in an attempt to calm him down and keep him from jumping into the situation, "Bad idea kid, calm down. There's nothing we can do at this point. We've got to keep our heads or we're all dead."

To all their relief, the elder slowly sat up, blood running from his nose from the harsh strike as his body shook with fury. "You gave your word! I gave you the Dragonball now leave us in peace!" He hissed.

"We will but first you must tell us where the other two Dragonballs are!" the leader replied coolly. "You destroyed our scouters so you must now tell us where the remaining two Dragonballs are located! They're useless unless all seven are together!"

"I already told you; I would never betray another Namekian even if it costs me my life!" The elder spat angrily.

"Oh it will, it will," the leader sighed.

The green-haired fighter glanced over at his boss, "Master Freeza, would we not be able to find the two remaining Dragonballs without these fools' help?"

"We could if we searched the entire planet for more villages," Freeza nodded. "... Kill all three of them."

Hairiyu gasped in horror at what she'd just heard. "No... They can't..." she quivered.

"Those monsters!" Gohan hissed furiously through gritted teeth.

"Calm down Gohan; you're not going down there," Krillin muttered sternly.

The Namekian elder rose to his feet and glanced over his shoulder, "Children run! Run and get away from here!"

The two Namekian boys nodded obediently and ran.

"I shall show you the honour of all the Namekians!" The elder roared raising both hands readying an attack-

A blast from Freeza's finger narrowly missed the elder's head as it shot between his skull and arm, striking down one of the Namekian children in the back. The elder gasped and turned to see the younger of the two children laying on the ground charred and motionless.

The three Earthling warriors gaped in horror, eyes fixated on the downed and defenceless Namekian child. He hadn't stood a chance.

"C-Cargo!" The other Namekian child cried, fearfully taking a couple of steps away from his fallen dead friend.

Gohan's rage boiled inside of him. "Those... Those monsters...!" He growled furiously struggling to keep himself under control.

Dodoria lunged forward catching the elder off guard as he grabbed him by the neck, twisting him by the head. There was a horrendously loud snap as the elder's neck broke.

Hairiyu cowered away from the ledge slightly, eyes furiously trying to blink back tears. "H-He k-k-killed him!" She stuttered almost hysterically. She'd never seen something as cruel as this before; at least when the Saiyans attacked it was against warriors who could fight – these were just civilians!

"Gohan, keep it together!" Krillin warned, trying to calm the shaking boy; Gohan's knuckles had turned white from the sheer strength in his arms.

Dodoria smirked and dropped the dead elder to the ground, "I think that's enough honour for one day."

He glanced over towards the last remaining Namekian; the boy being shaken out of his fear-induced paralysis as ice-cold eyes met his. He screamed and tried to flee the area, tears streaming down his cheeks due to the magnitude of emotion, heart feeling as if it would explode at any given moment! Within a second Dodoria had blocked his path and raised one arm up, "Squashing a little bug like you won't be any fun at all!"

Gohan's fury was beginning to peak as he venomously glared down at the two, body burning with rage.

"Kid, just die!" Dodoria bellowed.

A loud battle cry from her side made Hairiyu's head whirl around.

"Gohan!" Krillin cried. He and Hairiyu watched as Gohan flew down to the fighters below and booted the off-guard pink warrior around the face, sending him straight into one of the Namekian houses with a crash.

Krillin clenched his fists. "... That idiot!" He cried, leaping forward to join the young boy, leaving a stunned Hairiyu by herself on the top of the cliff.

The bulky fighter rose to his feet, exchanging a couple of words with Gohan before being completely caught off-guard by Krillin, knocked to the ground again with another kick! With no second thoughts the bald fighter grabbed the Namekian boy. "Idiot! Get outta here! NOW!" He leapt up into the air, Gohan quickly on his heels.

"HAIRIYU GET A MOVE ON!" Krillin bellowed.

Hairiyu jumped and scrambled to her feet, jumping into the sky and chasing after her comrades as they fled the scene. Her heart was pounding, her breathing rapid. No doubt they'd just angered those stronger fighters and they'd want to try and kill them too! Why did Gohan have to dive in and intervene, as much as she was glad there had been one Namekian survivor – why had he needed to endanger their lives?

"You two, fly as fast as you can! He's gaining on us!" Krillin bellowed.

Hairiyu looked over her shoulder and struggled to suppress a scream; the pink bulky fighter was behind them! The three of them clearly weren't fast enough; at this rate Dodoria would catch up to them... Hairiyu didn't want to think of what he would do to them when that happened!

Energy shots suddenly bolted past them, Hairiyu doing her best to dodge whilst keeping an eye on where she was going. She repeated to herself to imagine it as Piccolo's training rather than a life-death situation! She'd done it before, she could do it again! Each dodge she made reinforced her belief yet at the same time scared her as she knew another one would be coming straight for her!

The sound of contact made her glance around; Krillin had been hit and as a result he'd dropped the Namekian boy!

With no second thoughts Hairiyu bolted down towards the Namekian child, noticing Gohan beside her; surely one of them could catch him. Both were closing in on him; Hairiyu glanced over her shoulder, noticing Krillin had been captured by the bulky fighter. An insane idea had immediately popped into her head and she stopped in mid-air, fear temporarily subsiding enough to let her arms fall by her sides, palms facing forward.

Hairiyu closed her eyes tightly as she gathered as much ki as she could into her hands, body searing with heat from the rapid increase in energy. This had to hit its target!

"KENTOKA FLASH!" She bellowed angrily, tossing both hands forward and cracking her wrists together as she fired off the blue beam of energy. Rapidly it bolted towards a startled Dodoria; the alien lost his grip on Krillin's ankle as he dodged the blast, watching it with a look of surprise on his face as it shot up into space.

"... These kids aren't that bad for little runts... What the hell are they?" He muttered to himself loudly enough for the others to overhear him.

"MOVE!" Krillin bellowed, quickly regaining control of his fall and pelting forwards at top speed, grabbing Hairiyu by the hand, "FLY!" He cried.

Gohan flew towards them and joined them once again, spotting that Dodoria was once again following them. "Krillin, he's gaining on us again!" He shouted over the scream of the wind.

"What are we gonna do?" Hairiyu asked frantically, dropping back slightly as Krillin released her from his grip and beginning to panic more! He could have warned her he was gonna do that!

Krillin turned around so he now flew backwards. "You two close your eyes and go on ahead; I'm gonna distract him! Whatever you do, don't look back and keep your eyes closed!"

"Keep our eyes closed?"" Hairiyu repeated, "b-but we-"

"Don't ask questions – just do it!" Krillin bellowed, slowing down slightly so to let Hairiyu pass him and to also make sure his opponent was in range.

Both Gohan and Hairiyu did as they were told and closed their eyes, both hoping they didn't fly into anything!

What was he up to?


	21. Chapter 020

**Chapter 020 - Dende the Survivor**

As she flew with her eyes shut, Hairiyu tried to sense out the whereabouts of the others. She had barely any idea what was going on but Gohan was beside her along with the Namekian child, whilst Krillin and the pink monster chasing them were a little further back...

"TAIOKEN!"

A strange swell of Krillin's ki threw Hairiyu off; she'd never sensed anything so bizarre! She could have sworn she'd seen a flash through her closed eyes.

What had just happened?

"Follow me!" Krillin's voice called from just behind them; Hairiyu assuming it was now ok for her to open her eyes. Unsure of what had happened she did as she was told and descended to the ground alongside Gohan and Krillin, landing on one of the many small rocky islands. This particular island was small but heavily concealed; a decent hiding place.

"Keep close to the wall so he doesn't spot us," Krillin ordered as he pressed his back up against the rocky wall.

Gohan and Hairiyu did as instructed, yet the Namekian child seemed a little unsure.

"You too, kiddo," he added to the perplexed-looking Namekian. "That monster won't be in his condition forever."

The Namekian reluctantly did as he was told and crouched down beside Hairiyu.

"... One question though Krillin," Gohan whispered quietly, "What did you do?"

"I just blinded him for a moment," Krillin replied.

"Blinded him?" Hairiyu gawked in amazement. "H-How?"

"With a little trick I picked up from Tenshinhan," Krillin smiled amused by the look of awe on all three kid's faces.

The feeling was short-lived as the man above began to move around again.

"Looks like it's worn off..." Krillin mumbled in a hushed voice. "Everyone be as still and quiet as you can."

Hairiyu quietly watched the blob of a fighter as he floated around above them, scanning the area. She was glad he didn't seem to have spotted them but wondered how long it would take for him to find them. He no longer had his scouter after all so maybe they'd get lucky...

"Looks like he's having a hard time finding us without his scouter," Krillin muttered. "We really do owe that old Namekian one for trashing them all!" He quickly turned to Gohan and Hairiyu, "By the way, great flying you guys."

The pursuer's actions quickly changed and he shot further up into the sky.

Gohan smiled, "I think he's giving up."

"I hope so," Hairiyu gulped. "We're in too good a hiding place for him to find us!"

Krillin gasped as the man's arms rose, his ki swelling. With little warning he fired off an attack directly towards the ground; Hairiyu's heart rate bolting as she realised what was about to happen!

"NOW!" Krillin yelled jumping up; Gohan and Hairiyu following as fast as they could, Hairiyu snatching the Namekian boy from the ground-

The explosion rocked the atmosphere, tossing Hairiyu further up into the sky almost uncontrollably; she struggled to keep control of her flight and her head, desperately trying to keep hold on the mini-Namekian. Wind and rubble scattered across the air in a blinding sea of light. She knew Krillin and Gohan were close by but she couldn't work out how close they were.

Control returned as did her ability to see her surroundings. As the dust and smoke from the detonation cleared, she realised just how high up they were. Thankfully she hadn't taken any physical damage although her heart and breathing was rapid, adrenaline pumping through her small frame.

There he was; the monster who'd set off the explosion was a below them, examining the area from the looks of it. Hairiyu's throat felt as if it would close up; they weren't exactly hidden well anymore; he could just turn around and spot them at any moment!

He turned and left, flying off in the direction he'd come from.

The young girl breathed a sigh of relief, hand placed where her heart was trying to calm herself down. That had been terrifyingly close!

"We're alive... I thought we were done for!" Gohan sighed.

"So did I." Krillin nodded in agreement, attention turning to the Namekian boy in Hairiyu's grasp. "... Hey kid, can you fly?"

"Yes."

Hairiyu let go as she felt his ki fluctuate, watching in relief as he began to float before them. "That's the way," She smiled encouragingly.

"Thank you for saving me," the boy bowed his head down in gratitude.

"Don't thank me," Krillin smiled sadly, "Gohan's the one who took the risk for you. I was too much of a nervous wreck to even consider saving you I'm afraid so the thanks should go to him."

Gohan smiled, "but if it hadn't been for you Krillin blinding that guy, we'd all be dead."

"Yeah, I guess that is true," Krillin blushed. "I guess I ought to be thanking Hairiyu as well for getting me outta that pinch!"

"You're welcome," Hairiyu blushed bashfully, averting their gaze in shyness. She loved the praise and it felt good to know she'd actually done something useful, although it was embarrassing to hear it!

"Hey listen, it's not really safe anywhere on this planet; those monsters will no doubt be hanging around for a while. In the mean time, why don't you come with us?" Krillin suggested to the Namekian.

Hairiyu felt like this was the best choice and smiled, nodding at him. He seemed nice enough and it meant she'd have someone to talk to and play with other than Gohan! On a more serious note, the safest place for him to be right now was probably with the three of them; he didn't look like a fighter after all.

The young Namekian nodded his head and smiled.

"Great," Krillin beamed. "I say we head back to where Bulma is. Does anyone remember where we left her?"

"It's over there," Hairiyu pointed, "I can kinda sense my mama over there."

"You can?" Krillin blinked in surprise. "... You can actually sense her small ki from all the way out here?"

"Not her ki..." Hairiyu shook her head not really sure how to explain herself, "... I just know she's over there somewhere."

"I think she's right," Gohan agreed, "I'm sure we were chased by that villain from that direction... and before that we headed to this guy's village from that direction..."

"If you guys say so, let's go then!" Krillin shrugged his shoulders.

The group began to head back- or at least they assumed they were going in the right direction!

"By the way kid, what's your name?" Krillin asked.

"... My name is Dende," The small boy replied.

"Dende... that's a nice name," Hairiyu smiled. "I like it!"

"It's nice to meet you Dende," Gohan beamed, "My name is Gohan. That's Krillin and that's Hairiyu."

Dende seemed a little perplexed. "It's nice to meet you all. You have very unusual names from what I'm used to."

"That figures," Krillin mumbled. "... Changing the subject a little, I'm sorry about what happened back there Dende, I mean what happened to your family. I can assure you Gohan, Hairiyu and I aren't with those barbarians!"

"That was horrible..." Hairiyu frowned. "They're really horrible people."

-

It didn't take too long before the trio were closing in on Bulma.

"Hey, we're not too far from the cave that Bulma's hiding in," Gohan smiled.

"I know," Hairiyu nodded anxiously and fidgeting as she flew; she wanted to fly faster so she could get to her mother quicker!

"How come you two are so good at these things; I have no idea where we are," Krillin scratched his head.

Gohan's head bolted around, Hairiyu and Krillin quickly sensing it.

"S-Something's coming! Everyone hide!" Krillin stammered, grabbing the young alien by the hand and leading the other two down to an island, backs up against a cliff face once again.

Gohan gulped, "K-Krillin, I don't think this is a good hiding place." He mumbled.

"Suppress your ki, both of you!" Krillin hissed. "Leave the rest of it to luck." He held the quivering alien closer to him and gulped nervously. "I'll bet it's that big monster again... How did he find us without that gadget on his face?"

Hairiyu's eyes were sweeping over the vast green skies above to see if she could spot where that powerful ki was coming from. She'd located it to an area to her left and her eyes focused on one particular spot. She could have sworn she'd seen several dots moving but they'd all turned out to be tricks her eyes were playing on her...

Something just to the right of where her eyes focused appeared; pupils falling upon the dot and studying it. Her jaw dropped, heart began to thump wildly in her chest. She couldn't move. "... K... Kri...K-Krillin..." she barely squeaked. "U-Up there..."

Krillin looked to where the seemingly scared child was looking, spotting it pretty quickly.

"... Th-that's... Vegeta!" Gohan gasped.

Sure enough about two-hundred yards in the air to their left was Vegeta; he didn't look as if he'd spotted them but he did seem to be searching for something...

She couldn't believe how much bad luck they'd had today! First she'd let their ship be destroyed, then she'd had to watch some Namekians be killed, then she had to flee from a murderer and now her father was here! The amount of times her life had been threatened!

The Saiyan's head turned in their direction; Krillin, Gohan and Hairiyu all reflexively ducking behind the cover of the small rock wall they were hiding behind.

He seemed to be searching them out yet Hairiyu was baffled she couldn't even see one of those devices on his face! What was going on?

"... I think he's still searching..." Gohan quietly mumbled, only just peering over a ledge.

"Krillin, how is he able to find us?" Hairiyu asked quietly, knees shaking like jelly. "I thought he and that other Saiyan used those things on their faces..."

Vegeta glanced back over towards where the Earthlings were hiding.

Krillin gasped. "Don't tell me he's sussed out how to sense ki!"

The Saiyan turned and slowly began to descend towards them.

"He's coming this way!" Gohan scurried back down below the small boulder fearfully.

"Oh that's just great, it does get worse!" Krillin whined. "If it really is the case he's learnt how to sense ki then it's over. Even if we suppress our ki, there's still this kid's tiny energy!"

He grew closer and closer.

Hairiyu clamped her eyes shut, she was sure her legs were going to melt off, they were shaking so much! She wanted him to leave! All she could see happening was him finding them and slaughtering them all!

"We have got to fight him."

"Wha?" Gohan turned around in shock; Hairiyu's eyes popped open in disbelief.

"... Even if we don't stand a chance..." Krillin mumbled looking at the two for some back-up. Without further hesitation Krillin rose to his feet and took in a deep breath-

With no prior warning, something burst out of the water beside their island with a loud roar, startling Krillin and the three kids but also catching Vegeta's attention. It was one huge fish! Indifferent to the apparent danger looming over the area it swam in, the fish fell back down into the waters kicking up spray as its tail slammed the surface, Krillin getting the brunt of the water dumped on him!

To her amazement, Vegeta turned away and flew off.

Krillin sighed heavily and fell onto his back, "That was too close... We're lucky to be alive!"

"I thought for sure we were goners," Gohan exclaimed.

"We didn't even fight and I'm still exhausted!" Krillin chuckled. "Anyway, let's get back to Bulma..." He glanced over towards Hairiyu who'd seemed quite quiet. Curious he sat up and waved one hand in front of her face. "You alright?"

Hairiyu jolted in shock and bolted upright in panic, calming down when she realised it was Krillin. "You scared me..." she sighed.

"Sorry," Krillin laughed. "We're gonna head back to where your mum is."

"We're not gonna fly there, are we?" Hairiyu asked anxiously.

"That's a point," Gohan got to his feet brushing off the small drops of water that had hit him when that fish had appeared. "If we fly then Vegeta would pick us up again."

"Yeah, I guess you've got a point there," Krillin mumbled. "... In that case we're gonna keep our ki suppressed and run the rest of the way there."

-

As they ran, Hairiyu couldn't help but worry they'd be spotted again. Something else bothered her though; something about herself. She felt perhaps she was beginning to let the others down; everything was scaring her and would leave her frozen in her tracks. How was she meant to stay alive if whenever she got scared, she stopped moving? Piccolo wouldn't be happy with her. Krillin and Gohan wouldn't be happy with her. She didn't want to let them down. She hated letting people down and dreaded it with a passion. Hairiyu began to grow ashamed of her earlier behaviour; she'd been too scared to jump in when her friends needed her earlier. She wanted to work harder to make sure they managed to get their wish.

"It's gotta be around here somewhere..." Gohan mumbled.

"... You know what, guys?" Krillin sighed dismally. "I'm beginning to regret coming to this planet... I feel bad for Yamcha and the others who all died and I do wanna wish them back but... it just feels as if we're more likely to be adding more corpses to the list rather than wishing them all back to life..."

"... So you don't think we'll be able to make our wish?" Hairiyu asked holding onto the Namekian's hand.

Krillin shook his head reluctantly.

The Namekian child was taken back as Hairiyu suddenly flared up beside him. "Don't say that!" She cried, fists clenched up either side of her. "We have to get the Dragonballs! We have to bring everyone back to life! I don't want Mr Piccolo to be dead! They're all waiting for us to wish them back, Krillin!"

"Look I want them all back too but we can't ignore the fact that the people we're competing with are completely out of our league!" Krillin replied slightly shocked; from what he'd seen so far he'd assumed Hairiyu was quiet and relatively timid! Then again Bulma was her mother; naturally she would have picked up some of her quirky traits.

"I-I don't care how s-strong they are," Hairiyu glared down at the grass in front of her feet with a pout. "... I don't wanna give up, even if they are all stronger than us. We have to get our wish otherwise what was the point in coming here?"

Gohan took a step forward to the others with a nervous smile, "It'll be ok, Hairiyu. We'll find a way to get the Dragonballs, right Krillin?"

"... Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to try..." Krillin sighed in defeat.

Hairiyu pouted angrily; of course they needed to try! She couldn't be weak anymore; she wouldn't just sit back while her friends were in danger. Piccolo had taught her better than that and she wanted to bring him back to life! She didn't want to see any more deaths, she didn't want to hear any more bad things, she just wanted good news!

"Hey, look!" Gohan's exclamation brought Hairiyu out of her thoughts. "There's the cave we left Bulma in!"

"Hey you're right, good eye Gohan," Krillin smiled.

Hairiyu ran past the others, desperate to see her mother again. She blinked in confusion when all she was greeted with was the darkened silence of the cave. "... I can't see her in here..." she mumbled. "Mama!"

"She must be deeper inside of the cave," Krillin mumbled as he walked past her. "Bulma! Are you in here?" He cautiously stepped into the darkness, the others following him.

"Mama?"

"Bulma!"

Krillin stopped, Hairiyu looking on curiously. There was a Capsule House tucked inside the cave! "Hey, that's my mama's!" She exclaimed happily. "Mama, we're back!" She knocked on the door eagerly. "Mama!"

"Take it easy Hairiyu, she'll get cross at us," Krillin pulled her a little ways back from the door.

The door flew open almost striking Hairiyu in the face! The girl squeaked and stepped backwards making Bulma scream and back away!

"Hey, it's ok! It's just us!" Krillin waved his hands out trying to calm them both down!

The screaming had terrified the young Namekian and he'd gone behind part of the cave wall for cover, cautiously peeking back at them!

"Oh there you all are!" Bulma grabbed her daughter and began to crush her in her tight grip! "I was so worried about you!"

"Mama that hurts," Hairiyu flinched somehow managing to squirm out of her mother's arms.

"What the heck took you all so long? I thought you were just going to check out something you could all sense!" Bulma folded her arms angrily. "A frail girl like me could get hurt by herself you know!"


	22. Chapter 021

**Chapter 021 - The last Dragonball**

"Hey, who's the kid? He looks like a pocket-sized Piccolo!" Bulma asked.

"We'll fill you in on the details once we're inside the house," Krillin replied. "I'm bushed."

"Oh, I almost forgot the good news!" Bulma perked up with a smile. "I just got a call from my dad and he said that Goku's on his way here! That's not all; Goku's coming on a space ship that my dad built based on Goku's old Saiyan pod and he'll be here in six days! Plus he's doing some incredible training on the way!"

Tears began to well up in Krillin's eyes; he couldn't contain his joy from what he'd just heard. "... ALRIGHT!" He cheered throwing his fists up into the air, Gohan and Hairiyu jumping up and down together.

"I thought that would cheer you all up!" Bulma beamed.

"So he's doing some incredible training, huh?" Krillin smirked confidently. "Hairiyu, we may get our wish granted after all!"

Inside the house, the team settled down around the table as Bulma prepared them their food.

"I'm really hungry from all that moving today!" Hairiyu grinned as her food was placed down before her. "Thank you mama! It smells yummy!"

"You're welcome," Bulma smiled. "So this kid's the only survivor of his village then? It's awful..."

"M-mm," Hairiyu nodded with a mouth full of food not turning away from her meal.

"I really thought we were gonna die," Krillin swallowed his food and glanced to the young boy; he sat quietly with his hands on his knees. The food in front of him hadn't been touched.

Krillin frowned sympathetically, "... I know it's not very good but you should try to eat something."

Bulma glared at the short fighter, "Not very good? I slaved over that just for you and that's the thanks I get?" Her harsh tones sent chills of fear through Hairiyu, she didn't envy Krillin in the slightest. Surely he should know better than to say bad things about her mama? She would always become angry and scary!

"... We don't eat things like this," Dende answered. "We only drink water."

Krillin lowered his glass in confusion. "Didn't your village have a field? Weren't you growing some sort of vegetable?"

"Those were hydrangea plants," The boy replied. "The elders told us that before the terrible drought came, our planet was full of hydrangea planets and was very beautiful. When the drought came most of the Namekians and the hydrangea forests were wiped out. We're trying to plant them to make our planet beautiful again."

"Wow..." Gohan mumbled.

Dende looked up at the others. "... Where did you come from? Who are you?"

No one answered and for a reason; Hairiyu almost choked on her food when a powerful ki came to her attention! Without warning she and the other fighters rushed outside to get a better idea of what was going on, shooting out into the sunlight and watching the horizon. She was sure it was what she dreaded; several tiny ki signals were vanishing.

"What the heck's wrong with all of you? Are you sensing something? Tell me!" Bulma had appeared.

"Something's happening out there..." Krillin muttered. "There's a whole lot of small ki... they're all dropping one by one."

Gohan's eyes narrowed, "Namekians are being killed again.

Hairiyu seemed to have a mixture of anger and sorrow written across her face which her mother picked up on.

"I know it's hard to believe, honey," Bulma frowned putting an affectionate hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"... That's not it..." Hairiyu sighed. "... I mean it's horrible that there are Namekians being killed but... but it's the one who's killing them that makes me feel sadder... It's my dad."

"It's as I feared; Vegeta's learnt how to sense ki!" Krillin growled through gritted teeth. "This is bad... There's nothing we can do until Goku gets here! I'm not sure if Vegeta and this Frieza guy are in this together but if we let one of them get their hands on the Dragonballs then it'll be the end of the world!"

"Surely if we can manage to get just one of the Dragonballs we can stop them from making their wish," Bulma suggested.

Gohan shook his head glumly, "We can't do that. If we did, they'd just kill every Namekian until they find it."

Krillin knelt down and punched the ground, "I'm not even sure Goku could do anything when he gets here. If only I'd finished off Vegeta back on Earth when I'd had the chance!"

"P-Please tell me who you all are!" Dende's voice startled the others. "Where are you from? How do you all know about the Dragonballs? Can you help our planet?"

By now the last of the villagers' ki were fading. Hairiyu felt terrible and wished they hadn't been found. She hated this; innocent people were being killed by other's selfish actions – her father being one of them. Hairiyu felt so ashamed; why did he have to be like that?

She stood quietly as Krillin began to explain to Dende about the fight with the Saiyans and the Dragonballs on Earth they'd lost because of it.

"...And he was the Namekian who managed to escape from Namek and landed on Earth," Krillin explained. "Now we want to bring him and the rest of our friends back to life with your planet's Dragonballs."

"If we get our wish then it'll also restore the Dragonballs on Earth," Bulma added.

"I get it now... now I know who you all are," Dende bowed his head down for a mere moment before raising it sharply, small fists clenched by his sides. "Please, someone come with me! I'll take you to see the Great Elder!"

Krillin blinked in surprise, "What? The... gr..."

"Who's the Great Elder?" Hairiyu asked curiously.

"The Great Elder is the parent of all the Namekians," Dende explained. "He was the lone survivor of the terrible drought; he gave life to all Namekians across the planet; I'm his one-hundred-and-eighth kid."

"The lone..." Bulma was baffled. "Wait... How do you people have children?"

"How?" Dende repeated slightly shocked. "We lay baby Namekians through eggs in our mouths... How else?"

_'Through eggs?'_ Hairiyu tilted her head in confusion. _'Like a lizard? Or a bird?'_

"R-Right, how else..." Bulma nodded sheepishly. "So then the Great Elder must be a woman!"

"A woman?" Dende repeated. "What's a woman?"

Hairiyu's jaw dropped. He didn't know what a woman was? How could he not know that? "You mean you don't know?" She exclaimed.

Bulma seemed confused. "... W-What's a woman? Aren't there two types of Namekian? You know; males and females? Surely you'd have a mummy Namekian and a daddy Namekian, right?"

"What? Different types?" Dende seemed just as confused as Bulma! "... I don't understand..."

Bulma turned to Krillin, "A-Are you hearing this? There are no males and females on this planet! How boring! I'm glad I'm not a Namekian..."

Hairiyu wondered what her mother meant by this.

"... Anyway, what's so important about seeing this Great Elder?" Krillin asked Dende.

"Well the people who attacked my village already had four of the Dragonballs," Dende explained. "Plus you guys said there were people over in that direction being killed..."

Krillin bared his teeth. "Yeah, probably by a guy named Vegeta."

"I can't sense any more energy over in that direction," Gohan frowned. "They're all dead..."

Hairiyu looked at the ground in shame; her father had been the one to kill all those innocent Namekians after all.

Dende frowned, "That means there aren't many Namekians left on the planet."

"If there really was a Dragonball back at the village Vegeta attacked then that means there's only one more Dragonball out there!" Krillin pointed out. "Does this Eldest Namek have it?"

"Yeah," Dende nodded.

"This is bad!" Krillin clenched his fists. "Even if this Freeza guy can't find him because of their scouters breaking, there's still a chance Vegeta may find him! I'm pretty certain Vegeta's learnt how to sense ki unaided; it's only a matter of time before he'll find him and take the seventh Dragonball!"

Dende gasped in horror, "We have to warn the Great Elder! Please, we must hurry!"

"We can't let either Vegeta or Frieza get eternal life," Gohan added sternly.

"Alright, show me the way to the Great Elder's place; we'll get there as fast as we can!" Krillin decided. "Gohan, Hairiyu; you guys stay here with Bulma. There's no sense in us all going!"

"Right," Gohan and Hairiyu nodded in unison.

"...Be careful," Gohan added nervously.

"We should be able to avoid being spotted by Vegeta if we walk there," Krillin calculated. "Dende, how long would it take if we walked?"

"Um... I guess about thirty days," Dende answered.

"Thirty days?" Krillin gawked stunned. "We don't have that much time! Vegeta would surely find him before we'd even get halfway there! ... Looks like we've got no choice. We're gonna have to fly there. If Vegeta spots us and closes in then we'll just hide again!" He turned to Dende. "We'd better get there as fast as we can."

The Earthling and Namekian child both leapt up into the sky.

"Good luck!" Hairiyu called after them.

"See you both later!" Gohan waved.

"You guys make sure you stay safe!" Krillin called back at them.

The duo took off and slowly vanished on the horizon.

Bulma sighed, "Well, it looks like this is gonna be a close one..."

Hairiyu looked down at her feet. "I hope they manage to get there safely."

"I think we'd better head back inside just in case Vegeta spots us," Gohan suggested. "At least that way we won't be seen."

"Good idea kiddo," Bulma nodded.

The trio walked back into the capsule house and waited from there.

-

The minutes seemed to last hours. Bulma was currently scavenging through the fridge for a snack, pushing jars and bottles around noisily. Behind her Gohan and Hairiyu sat upon the sofa; both sat staring down upon the table before them.

"Ah, there it is!" Bulma smiled; apparently she'd found what she was looking for.

Hairiyu was lost in her thoughts, concentrating on something. She could sense strong ki quite far away from them. There were two of them, one stronger than the other.

"... Hey, what's going on?" Bulma had seen the looks on their faces.

"Someone's fighting..." Gohan mumbled, eyes peering up to Bulma for the smallest of moments before falling back upon the table. "Two powerful ki..."

"Oh?" Bulma started, suddenly becoming more anxious as she rushed towards them, "Don't tell me one of them's Krillin?"

"No, it's not Krillin," Hairiyu shook her head. "I can sense him moving still... he can't be fighting... He must be flying fast."

"I thought he said he and that kid would be flying slowly so Vegeta wouldn't spot them!" Bulma muttered crossly slamming her plate down upon the table and putting her fists on her hips.

"I don't think he will be spotted." Gohan replied, "I think one of the ki we sense fighting is Vegeta."

"I don't know who my dad could be fighting though," Hairiyu frowned in confusion, "It doesn't feel like it's a Namekian; the energy feels different... Do you think it's one of that guy Freeza's men?"

"Maybe," Gohan shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure, there can't be many Namekians left alive now; Dende said so himself."

"Yeah," Hairiyu sighed. Well whoever it was fighting her father, their power level was lower than his. _'... I hope dad wins...'_ she whispered in her mind.

Eventually she grew bored of watching whoever it was fighting her dad and decided to read a book. It was one of her favourites, an educational book about animals. It was far more interesting than those mechanic books her mother gave her from time to time!

With a loud groan, Bulma slapped her hair brush down onto the table, making Hairiyu jump from behind her book! The young girl didn't look up due to her reddening face; she wondered if anyone'd seen her jump!

"This is so boring!" Bulma wailed. "I wish I'd brought some more magazines or something along..." She took a glance over down the side of the sofa, blue eyes falling on Gohan. "... How can you be so calm at a time like this?"

Gohan opened one eye and smiled, "It's easy; all I have to remember is that my dad's coming to help us out!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Bulma nodded, leaning backwards and laying across the sofa, forcing her daughter to budge over a little. "Your dad had better get here soon, I'm so bored waiting for him!" She crossed her arms underneath her head and closed her eyes in a strop.

Gohan frowned. "I just hope that Krillin and Dende can get to the Great Elder in time... I hope Vegeta hasn't found them."

Hairiyu looked up from her book rapidly, unintentionally slapping her book hard against the edge of the table and making her mother jerk up into a sitting position.

"W-WHAT'S GOING ON? IS SOMEONE OUTSIDE YOU GUYS?" Bulma squawked frantically, grabbing her hair brush and mirror reflexively.

"Um... sorry, that was me hitting my book on the table." Hairiyu mumbled bashfully. "... I was just trying to sense my dad's ki since he was fighting someone earlier but now I can't seem to find anything."

Gohan curiously tried to find the energies they'd sensed before; they'd completely slipped his mind. "Hey... I can't sense them either. I wonder if it's over."

Hairiyu looked down at her lap with a worried frown. "I wonder who won."

Boredom quickly took over the room.

Finally Gohan sighed and got to his feet. "I'm gonna go do some training I think."

Hairiyu looked up from her book and placed it down. "If you're gonna train then so am I!" She jumped down from her seat.

"If you guys are going outside then be careful," Bulma warned, "... On second thoughts, maybe it's better I keep an eye on you both! I don't want to see anyone get hurt, ok?"

The three walked outside into the sun.

"Is it me or is it always sunny here?" Bulma mumbled to herself. "Surely we've been here for almost a day now?"

Gohan and Hairiyu had walked off a little ways ahead.

"Hey, do you wanna spar?" Hairiyu asked. "We haven't sparred together in a while."

"That sounds like a good idea, although we might wanna keep our ki as low as we can," Gohan mumbled. "We don't wanna be spotted by Vegeta!"

The two put up their defences.

The wind displaced the grass as they leapt forwards, the fight had started...

-

They'd been sparring for twenty minutes now.

Gohan charged forwards and launched several rapid punches, Hairiyu managing to block them all off, tripping as Gohan's leg drove into the side of hers knocking her off balance. The young girl fell onto her side, immediately trying to scramble to her feet as Gohan lashed out, his attack missing her. As she rose up her fist clipped him in the stomach making him take a couple of steps back yet regaining his composure.

In an instant both young fighters jumped up above the ground and met in a barrage of attacks before landing on the grass. The two both panted heavily as they wiped the sweat from their faces staring each other down.

"Hey guys, come check this out," Bulma called them both; she held the Dragon Radar in her hands.

Gohan trotted over towards the blue-haired woman, Hairiyu standing the opposite side of her mother as the three peered down at the device in her hands. "What is it, Bulma?" Gohan asked.

"Can you see a Dragonball?" Hairiyu queried.

"This Dragonball that's far away is moving!" Bulma pointed to the small bleeping dot. "I think it's heading straight for us!"

Gohan grinned excitedly, "It must be Krillin! He must have gotten the Dragonball off of the Great Elder!"

"So we finally have a Dragonball?" Hairiyu beamed cheerfully. "Yay! Now neither my daddy nor that Freeza person can get all seven balls and make their wish!"

"Things are finally starting to look good!" Bulma pulled a face that looked identical to her mother's!


	23. Chapter 022

**Chapter 022 - Spotted**

Hairiyu sighed and sat cross-legged upon the grass. It had been hours since Krillin and Dende had left to find the Great Elder. Her mother and Gohan continued to talk and watch the Dragonball move, Hairiyu choosing not to as she had more pressing matters on her mind. Something was still bothering her.

"...Hey mama, didn't you say there was a Dragonball showing up on the radar earlier?" She asked.

Bulma looked up at her daughter and nodded. "Yeah; the one that I noticed earlier was a lot closer to here, though."

Hairiyu looked at the ground for a moment as she continued to think it over. "I wonder if my dad managed to find it or not... Do you think it might still be there?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Bulma raised an eyebrow baffled.

"Well when you showed me it earlier, I think it was over in that direction," Hairiyu pointed.

Gohan gasped and frantically turned around, "Hey, yeah! That's where we could sense Vegeta attacking a Namek village!"

Bulma gulped and looked in the direction the other two were looking in, eyes wide with fear.

"... I don't sense any ki over there anymore, not even Vegeta's..." Gohan muttered. After a moment he turned around and held out his hand, "Hey Bulma, let me borrow the Dragon Radar for a bit, ok?"

"Are you gonna look to see if that Dragonball's still in that village?" Hairiyu asked.

"Yeah," Gohan nodded, "I'm sure you're right and that it's pointing to where that Namekian village that Vegeta attacked was. I don't know why it would still be there though..."

"Well maybe Vegeta never found the Dragonball," Bulma suggested. "Maybe he thought the village didn't have one and so never left with it!" She got to her feet and handed the Dragon Radar over to Gohan, "If that's the case then there's another Dragonball up for grabs!"

"Ok, I'm gonna go see if it's still there," Gohan smiled, eyes looking over to Hairiyu. "Are you coming too?"

Hairiyu frowned and fidgeted around a little, "... I wanna but I'm gonna stay here. Like Krillin said there's no use in us all going, right? My dad might sense us. I'm gonna stay here with mama."

"Alright, you guys be careful while I'm gone!" Gohan nodded as he began to rise into the air. "I won't be too long!"

"Make sure you don't fly too fast so no one senses you," Hairiyu called.

"Good luck kiddo!" Bulma smiled.

With a wave, Gohan slowly took off through the air, flying off in the direction of the Dragonball.

The two girls watched as the young boy vanished from view. A little surprised and curious, Bulma turned to her daughter, "How come you didn't want to go? I thought you'd have wanted to get a Dragonball. Aren't you interested in it?"

"I did wanna," Hairiyu replied avoiding eye contact, "Something just made me feel like I need to stay here. What if someone bad came here while I was gone? You'd be alone with no one to fight them off."

"Aww, you wanted to protect me?" Bulma asked tearfully, kneeling down beside her daughter and squeezing her in a tight hug. "Sweetie, no one's gonna hurt me! You don't have to worry about me; I've gotten out of some pretty tough scrapes before!"

"Mama, you're hurting me," Hairiyu flinched, her arms felt as if they were going to crush into her ribs! Still despite her mother's reassurance she couldn't shake off the feeling they would soon be in mortal danger. Something big was about to happen...

-

Both mother and daughter were still outside the cave, Bulma had tucked into reading a magazine whilst Hairiyu continued her training.

The young girl leapt up into the air and threw out several punches and kicks, fighting off an invisible and imaginary enemy. As gravity began to take an effect, she rolled up into a ball and somersaulted back down to the ground, landing safely upon both feet. Immediately she broke into another barrage of punches, throwing her blurred moves as rapidly as she could.

With a huff, Hairiyu stopped for a small breather, realising her mother was looking at her and growing embarrassed. A small blush appeared on her face and she looked down at the grass, "... I didn't know you was watching me." She mumbled.

"You're really fast," Bulma praised her daughter, "You're just like Goku when he was a kid."

"Really?" Hairiyu looked up joyfully. It meant so much to her! Ever since Piccolo'd kidnapped her and Gohan, Hairiyu had aspired to be a fighter in order to be like Piccolo and Gohan's daddy; strong and able to protect her friends and herself. To be compared to either of those two was a dream come true for this five year old!

"I just hope that Krillin and Dende manage to find the Great Elder and get his Dragonball." Hairiyu mumbled, mind coming out of the clouds, "I wonder if Gohan's managed to find that one we saw on the radar too."

"Well at least we'd have two of the Dragonballs!" Bulma grinned. "Then all we'd need to do is somehow steal the remaining five from those bad guys and then we can make our wish!"

"Yeah, we can bring Piccolo and all the others back to life!" Hairiyu smiled excitedly, although the smile quickly dropped. "... The only problem is the guys who have the five Dragonballs are far stronger than me, Gohan and Krillin put together; not even my dad would stand a chance against them."

"Aww don't worry sweetie," Bulma smiled, "We'll find a way!"

Hairiyu's eyes widened, her dark hair whipped through the air as she turned sharply to face the sky behind her.

"W-What? What is it?" Bulma asked frantically; it always sent panic through her whenever one of the trio suddenly turned like that!

"There's a big power level heading this way!" Hairiyu cried nervously; she didn't recognise it! Though her increasing nerves she tried to remember what Piccolo had taught her about ki signals. Was it dangerous? Although it didn't feel evil, Hairiyu didn't recognise the energy source. It didn't feel like a Namekian ki either...

"Is it bad?" Bulma stuttered, scurrying to her feet and edging towards the cave in case her daughter gave her the signal.

Hairiyu spotted them approaching and held her breath, her heart thumping through her ribcage. Was it good or bad?

Relief overcame her and she smiled, "It's Krillin!"

Sure enough Krillin landed before them with a triumphant smile on his face. "Hey, look what I've got!" He held the Dragonball out.

Hairiyu ran up to Krillin excitedly, "Krillin! You've got a Dragonball!"

Bulma marched up to Krillin and glared down angrily at him, "You idiot! You scared the heck out of the both of us!" She bellowed. "We thought it was an enemy coming towards us!"

"You did? Sorry," Krillin apologised graciously.

"How did you get your power to rise so much?" Hairiyu ignored her mother's anger; she was too preoccupied with Krillin's increased power level! "I didn't even recognise you!"

"Well that's something you're gonna find out soon," Krillin answered, glancing around from left to right. "...So where's Gohan? I'm gonna need to take him and you to see the Great Elder!"

"Gohan went to find another Dragonball we picked up on the radar," Bulma answered. "It was around the area where Vegeta was attacking that Namekian village. He went a little while ago. I guess he won't be too much longer."

Hairiyu's face dropped and once again she stared up attentively to the sky.

"K-Krillin! Two powers! They're massive!" She spluttered quickly.

Krillin gasped as he caught onto one of them, "I can sense only one of them! Whoever they are they're coming this way!"

Bulma smiled ignorant to the feel of the energy, "It must be Gohan! That was fast!"

"NO!" Hairiyu frantically shook her head. "It's not Gohan!"

"It's Vegeta!" Krillin screamed in horror.

Their worst fears were realised when Vegeta appeared, landing before them in a flash. His eyes quickly darted over the two Earthlings and his daughter before settling on the Dragonball.

"Well, well, well. I didn't expect to find Earthlings so far away from home! I didn't even think your civilisation had the technology to reach another planet! From the way you clutch that Dragonball, it seems you and I have the same agenda."

Hairiyu almost jumped out of her skin as her mother's hands clasped around her, Bulma pulling her daughter close to her. At first Hairiyu was about to complain and let her mother know she needed some space in case her father tried anything; the look in her mother's eyes stopped her. It almost scared and stunned her. Hairiyu had never seen her mother look so fierce and strong before, not even when her mother had told her off if she'd misbehaved!

The menacing and protective look had not gone unnoticed by the Saiyan opposing the trio. A quiet but audible chuckle came from deep within his throat as he folded his arms defiantly, playing with their fear and emotions.

"If you think I'm gonna let you take her then you're sadly mistaken!" Bulma spat  
defiantly, startling both Hairiyu and Krillin with how rebellious she was being and with how much animosity she was showing to such a powerful opponent; one which could easily kill them all in the blink of an eye.

"B-Bulma..." Krillin growled cautiously keeping one eye on the Saiyan opposite them.

Vegeta didn't lunge forwards as the short fighter expected; instead he merely chuckled in amusement.

"If you think I'm interested in taking that half-breed weakling then you're out of your mind woman. Trash should stay together and be done with..."

Vegeta's words sunk into the small child's mind and continuously echoed for a while. Trash? Was he referring to her and her mother as trash? Her own father? Why would he say such a horrible thing about his child and the woman who'd bore him a child? She didn't understand and it frustrated her; his words didn't make sense! The anguish began to summon tears to the corners of her eyes but she refused to cry; she didn't want to cry. She wanted to prove somehow that she wasn't trash; she and her mother weren't trash!

The Saiyan's eyes quickly darted to the side and he made a small glance over his shoulder before turning back to them. "Now I have something to take care of before I take that ball... Don't think about trying to escape – I won't hesitate to kill all three of you!"

Krillin watched in confusion as Vegeta turned away from the three of them.

"It's the other ki I felt!" Hairiyu whispered loudly, a little afraid to talk too noisily as well as still struggling to keep her emotions in check. Piccolo had taught her better; she didn't want to dishonour herself through crying like a baby. It was far easier said than done. Her mother's arms weren't as tightly wrapped around her now but they were more secure, as if she were trying to make sure her daughter and herself stayed close.

"He's here," Vegeta grinned in anticipation.

A bright light appeared on the horizon, Hairiyu gasped as the other ki appeared, landing before them. It was the green-haired man from before! He'd killed the two elder Namekians; Hairiyu distinctively remembered that event and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"...Wow! I'll bet he's the handsome hero who's come to recue us!"

Hairiyu was bewildered by what had just come out of her mother's mouth!

"Not even close." Krillin shuddered.

"He's not a hero; he's a bad guy," Hairiyu explained informatively to her mother who didn't appear to have heard her daughter; she seemed more preoccupied ogling over Zarbon!

Vegeta and the green-haired man seemed to be deep in conversation, exchanging words with one another that Hairiyu didn't comprehend. It sounded like they knew each other – he wore similar armour and clothes to her father – she wondered if they had been friends at one point. The green man quickly focused on the three of them standing behind the Saiyan.

"I recognise the short one with the Dragonball," Zarbon continued. "I see... you were all in it together!"

"Yoo-hoo! Hi! Thank you for coming to rescue me!"

"Mama, he's not here to rescue us!" Hairiyu protested nervously, "He's evil! I can feel it in his energy!"

"Do you think he's noticed me?" Bulma asked, her eyes fixated on Zarbon, touching her cheeks and squealing every so often.

Hairiyu raised her eyebrows in confusion; why was her mother acting so strangely around this man? Her father was here after all; shouldn't her mother be acting in this way towards him? What did her dad think about this? Was this acceptable? Hairiyu didn't think it was but them again she was only a five-year-old child. What did she know?

"I don't care much for those fools," Zarbon muttered, "All I care about are the Dragonballs. Won't you tell me where they are or do I have to beat it out of you? I'd kill you where you stand but Master Freeza's orders are to bring you back alive so consider yourself lucky! Either you can tell me or Freeza where the balls are."

Vegeta retaliated, the duo exchanging words with one another again.

Zarbon momentarily closed his eyes, appearing to be contemplating something.

"What's he doing?" Hairiyu quietly asked Krillin, now ignoring her mother's strange behaviour.

"Don't know," Krillin slowly shook his head.

"Alright, you asked for it," Zarbon's eyes opened.

The slender alien clenched his fists.

Krillin and Hairiyu both gasped in shock as Zarbon's ki swelled dramatically.

Zarbon's body almost appeared to explode as he began his transformation; the sight causing Bulma's eyes to bulge and her jaw to drop. The shocked Earthlings watched in bewilderment as Zarbon changed from slender and handsome to looking rather like a bloated frog!

"H-He turned into a monster!" Krillin choked.

"H-H-His e-energy..." Hairiyu was creeping towards her mother trembling. There was something about Zarbon that sent shivers down her spine and terrified her. She couldn't contain her emotions and clung to her mother's waist, refusing to look at him. He reminded her of a gigantic, slimy-looking frog. He utterly repulsed her; Hairiyu wasn't too comfortable around frogs and toads because they looked slimy and gross to touch. It was something she'd never told anyone and would rather keep it that way!

The fight began. Zarbon went in to attack Vegeta, the Saiyan proving to be too nimble for the bulky beast to catch. The fight moved up into the air; Vegeta did something – Hairiyu wasn't sure what – whatever it was it stopped Zarbon right in his tracks and made him clutch his eyes. Within that instant the Saiyan teleported and rammed a strong punch into the beast's back, sending him forwards.

The power she'd felt from the hit startled and scared her; Hairiyu could sense her father was far stronger than when he'd arrived on Earth!

The fight continued, Hairiyu and Krillin watched tense and nervous; it didn't matter who would win the battle because both of these fighters would kill the three of them soon after!

Vegeta began to fire of a barrage of ki attacks, each striking Zarbon and sending him under the surface.

Hairiyu's fists shook in awe and fear as she watched the blasts enter the water, sensing every time Zarbon's energy would fall. Her father clearly had an advantage here over the ugly monster and for that reason Hairiyu felt a slight tinge of relief. She'd rather her father would win, even if he would probably kill them after he stole their Dragonball.

"Now's our chance!"

Krillin's voice brought Hairiyu out of her reverie and her head spun around to face the short fighter.

"Let's go while they're both focused on battering each other!" Krillin ordered.

"B-But he said he'd kill us if we tried to leave!" Bulma quivered.

"He'll kill us if we stay!" Krillin retaliated, grabbing Bulma and leaping forwards. "Hairiyu, come on!"

Hairiyu took a quick glance up to her father before bolting off the ground after Krillin and her mother, not so sure about all of this.

Vegeta felt the small increase in the Earthling's power...

The trio didn't get very far at all across the island as several blasts suddenly bolted into the waters before them. Bulma screamed as Krillin suddenly came to a halt, the force causing her to fall backwards onto her back with a thump. Krillin glanced up at Vegeta frustrated, "That guy never lets his guard down!"

Hairiyu helped her mother get to her feet, "K-Krillin, are we gonna...?"

The fight suddenly moved straight in front of the trio as both Vegeta and Zarbon landed.


	24. Chapter 023

**Chapter 023 - Spared For A Gift**

Zarbon looked terrible. His armour was tattered, his hair falling out of its braid and the frustration on his face apparent. Frustration seemed to have gripped him as he glared furiously at his opponent. "Vegeta! You're going to pay!" He snarled venomously.

Vegeta chuckled confidently, "I see the pre-emptive strike was effective after all! You just don't get it do you Zarbon? You were always so sure in your knowledge about Saiyans and yet you've forgotten one crucial thing! Your first and last mistake was not killing me when you had the chance! Believe me when I say I won't be making that same mistake!"

"You, kill me?" Zarbon snorted. "You fool! You'll never be able to beat me in this form Vegeta!"

"It looks like you're not going to remember it after all! Saiyans grow stronger every time we fight, especially if we're beaten to near-death!" Vegeta jeered. "Don't you agree it was such a mistake to heal me when I was nearly dead?"

Zarbon gasped in horror and realisation, eyes widening as he reflexively leaned back.

Hairiyu carefully listened to what her father was saying, a little confused and baffled by it all. Saiyans grew stronger if they nearly died? It didn't make any sense to her... did that apply to her and Gohan? Would they get stronger each time they fought?

"He's just like Goku," Krillin mumbled. "No matter how brutal a beating Vegeta takes, he gets stronger every time he fights! It's no wonder his ki is so high!"

"That's not true – no matter how strong you may have become I'll always be more than a match for you in this form!" Zarbon bellowed, rushing forwards furiously towards the shorter fighter.

"The Saiyans are a warrior race!" Vegeta responded equally as vicious. "WE WILL NOT LOSE!"

The two fighters met in a barrage of punches and kicks. Through the fighting and blurs of each move Hairiyu could just about make out the look of desperation on Zarbon's face, albeit she was struggling to swallow the lump in her throat that threatened to choke her. She may have been a young girl but she could see the emotion and fear written in Zarbon's eyes and felt a little sympathetic towards him, even if he was an ugly, revolting looking monster now.

A large crack stopped the rapid movement, Zarbon reflexively reeled forwards with both hands clasped around the Saiyan's head as his jaw gaped open. Drops of blue blood fell to the grass between the two, staining the ground with its colour.

Krillin, Hairiyu and Bulma all looked on in horror as they realised what had happened; Hairiyu felt the lump overcome her and turned on her heels to lean over the rocky wall, threatening to vomit at any moment. She couldn't get the image out of her mind; her father's fist wedged deeply in the monster's stomach. It had sent waves of fear and horror though her little body. She was terrified. To add to her unsettled stomach, the lack of sleep she'd gotten since they'd landed on Namek was beginning to have an effect on her.

"V... Vegeta... I was just... following orders..." Zarbon croaked through the pain. "... S-Spare me..."

"Don't make me laugh!" Vegeta spat. "You expect me to let you live after you worked me like a slave for all those years?"

"V-Vegeta... we can work together... as a team..." Zarbon offered. "We... could take down... Freeza... together...!"

There was a burst of bright blue as Vegeta fired off an energy blast inside of Zarbon, the beam shooting through the monster's back.

Bulma shrieked and covered her face with her eyes, Krillin and Hairiyu watching in horror and dread as they watched Zarbon fall through the sky and into the water behind them with a large splash. All three knew he wouldn't resurface.

Vegeta rose from his lower stance and clenched his fists muttering something to himself before turning around to face the three Earthlings. "Now, where were we?"

Nerves hit the young girl; the Saiyan had dealt with the other threat and now surely he would deal with them. She knew herself and Krillin would be wiped out in an instant.

"Somehow you've managed to improve since when we fought on Earth," Vegeta smirked, "but even you must know you don't stand a chance against me! Hand over the Dragonball!"

The young five-year-old was once again pulled into her mother's grasp although this time Hairiyu could feel her mother's arms trembling. That was not reassuring or comforting to her in the least; Hairiyu was tired, she felt sick and wanted to go to sleep but knew she couldn't. She wanted her father to just go away and let them keep the Dragonball. There was no way they could give it up, not after all the trouble they'd gone through to get it! They only had one ball!

"... I know it's pointless to ask..." Krillin started nervously, "... but will you just go if I hand you the Dragonball?"

Both Bulma and Hairiyu perked up in confusion.

Vegeta chuckled, "A promise? Fine, as long as I get the Dragonballs there's little point in wasting my energy and time squashing weaklings!"

Krillin was stunned but unconvinced, "... Do you swear to keep your promise?"

"Don't make me repeat myself; if you really want to live then I suggest handing it over before I change my mind," Vegeta warned.

_'No... Don't do it...'_ Hairiyu pleaded in her head. _'Don't let him have the Dragonball!'_

Krillin took a step forwards.

"No!" Hairiyu lunged forward almost out of her mother's grasp, clutching onto Krillin's shirt. "Don't give him the Dragonball! You can't! We need it so we can bring Piccolo and the others-"

"Shut up!" Krillin spat, startling both Hairiyu and Bulma. The shock loosened Hairiyu's grasp and Krillin continued to walk towards the Saiyan, handing over the Dragonball.

"You're very lucky," Vegeta smiled as he looked down at the Dragonball in his hands. "Having all seven Dragonballs has put me in a very good mood! Now I shall be able to make my wish and gain immortality and then... then the universe will belong to me!" With a howl of laughter, Vegeta revved up his ki and bolted off into the distance.

Bulma exhaled deeply and slid down the cliff wall. "... We're alive..."

Hairiyu's fists were trembling as she furiously glared down at the grass before her feet. She wasn't happy. Why had Krillin just handed over the Dragonball so easily? Now there was no way they could wish Piccolo and all those who died back to life because now her father had all seven Dragonballs! Now Hairiyu would never be able to see her mentor again! It was all Krillin's fault! On top of it all she'd tried to stop him and yet he'd yelled in her face! Hairiyu hated being yelled at! She hated not being able to get their wish granted! She hated Krillin!

"Krillin, why did you give him the ball?" Bulma asked. "You're a strong guy, you could have fought him off..."

"I appreciate it Bulma but Vegeta's a lot stronger than I am," Krillin mumbled. "He'd have killed us if I hadn't. It's a miracle we're all alive as it is!"

"He said it was the last ball he needed," Bulma frowned. "It's all over... and after all the trouble you went through to get it."

"I hate you..." Hairiyu muttered venomously.

Bulma glanced at her daughter, "What was that?" She asked.

"I HATE HIM!" Hairiyu bellowed pointing at Krillin. It was too much for her to bear as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "He gave away the Dragonball! Now I can't see Piccolo ever again!" She choked and broke into sobs, Bulma crouching down and hugging her daughter tightly.

Krillin frowned, "I had no choice Hairiyu. If I hadn't given him the Dragonball then he would have just killed us and taken it anyway. At least with us being alive there's a slim chance we could stop Vegeta making his wish."

"No there's not!" Hairiyu wailed. "Daddy's got all seven balls! We can't beat him!"

"Remember that Gohan's gone after a Dragonball," Krillin pointed out. "My guess is that it wasn't that Vegeta didn't find the ball; he hid it so Freeza and his fighters couldn't get all seven!"

Bulma smiled, "Hey, you could be onto something there! Gohan's probably already found the Dragonball and could be on his way back!" She looked down at her daughter, wiping her tears away with a thumb, "See, Gohan may have just gotten us another Dragonball which would mean Vegeta can't make his wish after all!"

Hairiyu's cheeks reddened as she calmed herself down and eventually smiled. They were right; Gohan was probably on his way back with the Dragonball! Perhaps things had turned out for the best after all!

"Now I just hope that Gohan can avoid being spotted by Vegeta..." Krillin mumbled.

-

The tension was rising at the small cave. Krillin was pacing the ground, Hairiyu sitting nearby on a small rock with her head in her hands. It had been nearly ten minutes since Vegeta'd left.

Bulma emerged from the cave entrance, "I've put away the Capsule House. Any signs of Gohan?"

"Not yet," Krillin shook his head. "Come on Gohan, we really need to get a move on outta here!"

Hairiyu looked over at Krillin, feeling guilty about her outburst earlier. "... Um... Krillin?"

"What is it?" Krillin looked over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," Hairiyu apologised. "I don't really hate you."

"Don't mention it kid, it's ok," Krillin smiled. "You were upset. Sometimes people get angry and yell at others when they don't mean to. That's part of what being human's about!"

Hairiyu smiled a little. She was relieved Krillin was taking it so well and not holding a grudge against her.

A couple more minutes passed.

Hairiyu blinked and looked up in the sky, "Krillin!"

Krillin smiled as he too sensed him.

Gohan cheered as he descended towards the group, Dragonball held above his head. "Look what I got!"

"Great job Gohan!" Bulma cheered.

"Let's save the celebrations for later!" Krillin butted in. "We've gotta get outta here and fast!"

"I know, Vegeta found me too," Gohan nodded. "I managed to hide the Dragonball from him!"

"Wow, are we lucky today or what?" Krillin gawked.

"Guys! Let's talk about this later!" Bulma ordered.

The trio leapt from island to island – Bulma being carried by her daughter. The tension was high; all were wondering what the Saiyan would do once he found out that Gohan had taken his Dragonball. He'd slaughter them mercilessly if he ever found them! They had to keep their power levels down and had to find a suitable location to hide at!

Krillin led the group towards an island; in the middle lay a relatively large boulder with a crack down the middle, narrow and squashy but just about big enough to hide them all in. "That's gonna have to do!"

He leapt onto the edge of the island; Gohan and Hairiyu close behind as they came to a stop.

"Ok, this is probably the best we're gonna get," Krillin replied turning around, "I'm not sure we wanna keep jumping around so much."

Hairiyu released her mother from her back and looked at her surroundings; the two sides of the boulder were quite tall! Still it didn't feel very roomy here.

Gohan jumped up and leaned on the top of one of the rocky walls. "He shouldn't be able to spot us from here!" he smiled, peering down below.

"You expect me to be able to live in a cramped place like this?" Bulma snapped at Krillin. "The walls are so close together I can't even put the Capsule house up! There's no shower or bath, no bathroom or even space for a bed!"

"I'm sorry Bulma but perfect caves don't just grow on trees!" Krillin apologised. "Try to tough it out; we're doing the best we can here!"

"Tough it out?" Bulma barked. "I'm being forced to live in a place like this with you guys!"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Krillin smiled smugly, "I'm gonna head back to the Great Elder's place and I'll be taking Gohan and Hairiyu with me."

"What?" Gohan asked upon hearing his name, floating down the side of the cliff wall.

"Why do you wanna take us there?" Hairiyu asked equally as confused.

"I've got a plan. It might work but it might not," Krillin explained. "Hopefully if everything works out, we'll be able to make Gohan and Hairiyu at least as strong as Vegeta!"

"You're gonna leave me all alone here?" Bulma protested.

"It'll only be for a little while," Krillin replied. "I promise it'll be worth it!"

Bulma looked briefly at Gohan and then her daughter; both seemed a little unsure. She took a deep sigh and uncrossed her arms, "Fine, take the two of them and make them strong – but if anything happens to my little girl then you'd better prepare for the worst, Krillin!"

"Alright, I'll take care of both of them, don't you worry," Krillin waved his hands in front of his face. "Is it ok if I just grab a couple of things first? You have a separate capsule for the portable fridge, right?"

Bulma dug into her pocket and took out her capsule case, handing one capsule to Krillin. "Take what you need but don't take everything! I have to eat as well!"

"Are we going now?" Hairiyu asked.

"In a minute, I'm just gonna pack some food for us," Krillin nodded. "We're gonna be a while trying to get there I'm afraid. We're gonna need to run as fast as we can since Vegeta would just pick up on us if we flew."

"Good plan," Gohan gulped.

Bulma leant down in front of her daughter, "Now make sure you listen to what Krillin says and try to stay out of trouble."

"I will do mama," Hairiyu nodded, giving her mother a hug. "You have to make sure you stay safe."

It didn't take long for Krillin to pack the three of them a couple of day's worth of food.

"See you later mama!"

"Take care Bulma!"

"You guys get back here soon!"

And with that the group split into two.

-

"So do you really think we can become as strong as Vegeta?" Gohan asked as the trio slowly flew through the sky. Running had been too tedious so instead Krillin had suggested flying at a dismally slow pace.

"Hey, if I managed to have this much of an increase, you two should have far more with your Saiyan blood," Krillin smiled.

"I wish we could fly faster... I feel so tired," Hairiyu yawned.

"I know how you feel but we can't," Krillin replied, "If we released any more ki, Vegeta would pick us up for sure! Just try to stay awake for a little while longer. We'll take a small break in a moment."

The journey continued until what Hairiyu felt like was the end of the day... That one thing had been bugging her for a while now. Why was the sun always up?

"Hey, Krillin?" Gohan called.

"What's wrong Gohan?"

"How much further do we have to go now?"

"We've still got a while yet." Krillin replied.

"... Krillin? What time is it?" Hairiyu asked.

"I'm not sure," Krillin answered.

"It feels like we've been awake forever!" Hairiyu yawned, trying to stifle it but failing. "I wanna go to sleep!"

"Come to think of it, we have been awake for a while now," Gohan looked around them. "It's weird how the sun is still out!"

"Oh, Dende told me that this planet doesn't have nights," Krillin explained, "There are three suns here on planet Namek, and one is always up at some point so it's like it's always daytime!"

"What?" Hairiyu gawked, unable to get her head around the idea. No night time? Did that mean she had no bed time? She couldn't believe it!

"... So how do we know when we need to sleep?" Gohan asked confused.

"Well I guess since we're all starting to get tired, we should probably rest up for a bit!" Krillin sighed in defeat.

It was going to be a long trip.


	25. Chapter 024

**Chapter 024 - Joining Forces**

It had been four days now since they'd left Bulma. The trio were sat around eating some food.

Hairiyu looked rather concerned as she ate her apple; Krillin knew what she was thinking.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure your mum's fine."

"I hope so..." Hairiyu mumbled.

"How much further is it to the Great Elder's place, Krillin?" Gohan asked. "It's been four days now."

"It's not much further," Krillin replied concerned, "but I don't know if at the rate we're going whether the Great Elder will survive for much longer... We've gotta take the chance! I'm sure if we go at it at full speed now, not even Vegeta would be able to sense us at this distance!" He swallowed his mouthful and zipped his rucksack closed, slipping it onto his back and getting to his feet. "Alright you two, let's get to the Great Elder's place!"

"We should be ok and anyway, my dad's meant to be getting here soon," Gohan nodded in agreement, rising off the ground.

The three fighters took off into the sky.

Krillin smiled feeling rather relieved to feel the wind striking him so hard; at least they'd be able to travel at a pace he was far more comfortable with!

"At this rate we'll be there in an hour!"

-

It had been almost an hour now and both Gohan and Hairiyu were feeling drained from flying so fast for so long.

Krillin looked over his shoulder," Hang in there just a little longer you guys! We're almost there!"

Hairiyu noticed something interesting in the distance. "Hey, what's that over there?" She pointed towarda a large tower of rock rising over the horizon.

Krillin spotted what Hairiyu was referring to and smiled in relief, "That's the Great Elder's place, on top of that mountain!"

Fear grasped onto Krillin as a familiar energy signal appeared, the short fighter quickly halting. "T-There's a ki coming from behind us!"

Both Gohan and Hairiyu stopped and turned back, both immediately picking up on the same energy.

"Shit, it can't be!" Krillin gulped. "It's Vegeta!"

"W-What'll we do?" Hairiyu squawked. "We were so close!"

Krillin's head spun around to the two, a fierce and determined look on his face, "You two continue to fly to the Great Elder's place and get him to raise your power levels! I'll try and stall Vegeta!"

"B-But Krillin-" Gohan stammered.

"Just get going!" Krillin barked.

"We'll try. Be careful Krillin!" Hairiyu nodded, grabbing Gohan by the hand momentarily and flying off towards the large mountain. The duo were there within seconds and landed on the tall pile of rocks.

"Wow, this place is pretty high up," Gohan gawked. "... So, is the Great Elder really here?"

"I hope so," Hairiyu shrugged her shoulders.

The sound of footsteps caught both their attention, each fighter putting their guard up unsure of what or who was coming for them...

Hairiyu's eyes widened in disbelief and shock.

There was a tall Namekian before them; he wore a dark blue sleeveless jacket and white trousers. The serious look was uncanny.

"He looks just like Mr Piccolo!" Hairiyu cried.

"Is he the Great Elder?" Gohan asked, equally as stunned. "I can't believe he looks so much like Piccolo!"

"The Great Elder will see you both now, please follow me," The Namekian turned his back to the children and walked into the strange house. Hairiyu and Gohan did as they were told and followed him inside.

Hairiyu looked around; the room they were in was dark; only natural light came through the door and small windows.

"This way," The Namekian levitated up through a hole in the ceiling. Both children followed his lead, shocked at what they saw when they reached the next level.

"Welcome, Earthling children."

In the centre of what lay before them was the biggest, plumpest and oldest Namekian either of them had seen! Dende stood to his left, the other Namekian beside him.

"The man you see before you is the Great Elder," The pseudo-Piccolo declared.

"Wow... you're huge!" Hairiyu exclaimed.

"So is it true you can unlock our power?" Gohan asked.

"We don't have much time. If one of you would be so kind as to step forward," The large Namekian asked, raising one huge hand off his chair.

Gohan stepped forward and stood beside the Namekian's chair, the Great Elder placing his hand gently on his head. He gave a small gasp as if he were shocked; Hairiyu finding she couldn't look away. Just what was he going to do to Gohan's head?

"What a tremendous power; you're not an Earthling are you?" The Great Elder asked.

"Um... could you please hurry, sir?" Gohan quivered.

Hairiyu could sense her father was very close to them and glanced back behind her. "I hope Krillin's alright."

The other Namekian spoke out, "He's here. Are the boy's intentions pure?"

The Great Elder nodded.

Hairiyu smiled in relief; whatever they meant by that, at least Gohan had been given the thumbs up.

Curiously she watched as Gohan's power was unleashed, shocked by the massive jump in his ki! Within a couple of seconds the Great Elder had removed his hand. In a burst of light the boy's ki skyrocketed as the Great Elder opened what felt like a new well of power inside of him.

"W-Wow..." Hairiyu was in awe by how much Gohan's ki had increased and was a little scared. Was this process going to do the same to her?

The Great Elder sighed and took a small breather.

"... Wow... this is my... my power?" Gohan looked at his hands.

"Yeah..." Hairiyu squeaked impressed. "It's huge, Gohan! I bet you're as strong as my dad or your dad or even Piccolo was!"

"Other child, please come over to where the other one was," The Great Elder interrupted.

Gohan took a few steps back as Hairiyu stood where he'd been. "... I'm gonna try and help Krillin with Vegeta," he decided. "We'll try to stall him long enough for you to come out!"

"Ok," Hairiyu nodded nervously. "Be careful!"

"Good luck Gohan," Dende called.

"Bye Dende, bye Hairiyu. Thank you very much for the power up Mr Great Elder!" Gohan waved as he jumped down the hole and back outside to join Krillin and face Vegeta.

Hairiyu flinched as she felt something big land softly on her head.

"... Amazing... What an impressive power you have for someone of your age." The Great Elder's voice sounded much deeper and scarier closer up! "You're just like that boy. There is something deep within you and your intentions are pure..."

"Um... Great Elder, sir... Is this gonna hurt?" Hairiyu gulped nervous.

The elder did not respond, instead he focused on drawing her sleeping power out...

Hairiyu felt odd. She felt as if something was reaching into her, some strange force was diving deeper and deeper into her. After a couple of seconds, the feeling stopped and felt as if it had erupted, exploding outwards and filling her entire body. At that same instant she suddenly felt more energetic, more powerful, more alive. She struggled to control the feeling, almost overwhelmed by the sudden surge of ki she felt flowing through her veins! Her heart pounded in her ribcage.

It was incredible!

The Great Elder removed his hand from her head.

"... So, do you feel any different?" Dende asked.

Bewildered Hairiyu looked at the miniature Namekian speechless and stunned.

"This... is me? ... It's... incredible..." she spluttered, the realisation that the extreme amount of ki she could feel inside of her was hers. "It's amazing...Wow! This is so cool!" She cheered. "Thank you Mr Great Elder sir, thank you so much!"

"Dende," The Great Elder mumbled, "Tell everyone there is a great and unknown power heading towards our planet."

"What?" Hairiyu gasped, trying to sense the energy.

"Y-Yes sir!" Dende nodded rushing out of the room.

Hairiyu attuned her senses to the best of her ability, searching through a pool of large powers incredibly close to her, the gigantic power in the distance... There was very little energy around them... Where was it? She tried to search deeper, trying to extend the length of which she was sensing...

There!

The sudden appearance of it sent shivers of fear through her small body. They had to be kidding! It was tremendously powerful – no one in their group could fight that!

She had to warn the others. She had to warn them about the terrifying power she could sense!

Hairiyu jumped through the hole in the floor, landed on her feet and burst out of the door beside Dende. "K-Krillin!" She cried, almost surprised to see him, Gohan and Vegeta immediately outside the door.

"Yeah, we know," Krillin nodded.

"Shit! It is! Freeza's called the Ginyu Force!" Vegeta spat. Within a flash the Saiyan'd grabbed Gohan by the scruff of his shirt and held him up in the air. "You! No more time for games! I need you to tell me where you hid the last Dragonball!"

"I don't have it!" Gohan croaked defiantly.

"Tell me! I'll spare you and your friends but I need to make that wish now!" Vegeta bellowed. "If we don't hurry we'll all be dead!"

"What do you think we are – stupid?" Krillin snapped. "You put him down right now!"

Vegeta turned and chucked Gohan down to the ground, "Listen you idiot! There are five members of the Ginyu Force, each as powerful as I am – maybe even more powerful! They'll be here in a few moments with scouters! If we don't hurry they'll find your Dragonball and kill us all!"

_'S-Stronger than daddy?'_ Hairiyu gulped nervously. She was no match for her father and these guys coming were even stronger than him! Hairiyu felt so helpless and small; she'd just had her power increased to a whole new level just moments ago – she'd almost felt invincible – yet now she felt insignificant and useless. How were they gonna be able to bring the others back to life?

"It can't be!" Krillin stammered.

"Can't you feel their power?" Vegeta snapped. "None of us are strong enough to face that! We have one choice and that's to make me immortal!"

"What the Saiyan says may be true," Nail butted in. "I do sense five evil powers..."

Hairiyu watched as the adults continued to bicker, Krillin now suggesting they made Gohan immortal whilst Vegeta argued he had to be the one as he had the most experience. This didn't matter to her right now; she couldn't ignore just how much stronger the fighters approaching were! She wasn't sure how immortality would help but she'd rather it was Gohan than her father. At least Gohan was a good guy!

"... No. I can't... Not after everything we've fought for... It would mean our entire search would be for nothing!" Krillin shouted.

"You would still have two more wishes," Nail pointed out.

Gohan, Hairiyu and Krillin all looked up at the tall Namekian in disbelief. Had they heard that correctly?

"Three?" Gohan repeated. "You mean we can have more than one wish?"

"Three wishes?" Krillin mumbled in awe.

"Hurry up!" Vegeta snapped irately. "It'll be your fault if we run out of time!" He grabbed Krillin's shirt holding him on the balls of his feet. "The Ginyu Force will be here any minute now – we have to use the Dragonballs now before it's too late!"

"You're not the one calling the shots here Vegeta!" Krillin retaliated, grabbing Vegeta's fist. "Nail, are you absolutely sure we can get three wishes?"

"Yes," Nail nodded.

Krillin stared at the Saiyan for a moment, Hairiyu watching cautiously in case her father tried anything.

"... Let's go then."

Hairiyu blinked surprised as Krillin was lowered to the ground.

"You try anything funny and the deal's off – got it? Now follow me!" Krillin warned, taking to the sky. Vegeta closely followed him.

_'We're leaving? Why?'_ Without a word Hairiyu took off alongside Gohan, unsure of what the group of them were now doing.

The tall mountain disappeared quickly over the horizon behind them, Hairiyu not finding it as difficult to keep up with everyone else. Her thoughts were racing with information, unsure of what to focus on. She felt strangely giddy and happy that her father was working alongside them, it was something she'd found herself daydreaming about a lot recently, especially when she'd found out he too was on the planet. To be able to fight alongside him rather than against him was too good to be true! Yet knowing they were about to make him immortal both excited and worried her at the same time. She was glad that by doing this he wouldn't be killed – she didn't want her father to die no matter how he treated all her friends – yet she also knew he did not share this same view and was concerned he may turn his back on them once these men were dealt with. The fighters coming towards the planet clearly would hold the advantage against them if this wish was not made. She couldn't believe she was being pitted against such strong people! It made butterflies fly about in her stomach and she felt a little sick...

The flight was fast yet Hairiyu found she wasn't growing tired. She wondered if it had anything to do with the Great Elder releasing whatever power she'd had within her.

"They've already landed on the planet! How much further do we have to go?"

Hairiyu glanced up towards her father and Krillin, heart beginning to pound. There it was again; the feeling they were being chased!

"There!" The short fighter cried, bolting down for the ground. The others followed him down – Hairiyu included. The girl only had a short time to wave to her mother before taking off after her friends again. She could have sworn she'd heard her mother yelling at them as they left. Now she felt a scared; surely her mother would be angry at her later!

Another couple of minutes passed; this time it was Vegeta who lead the group. Krillin held the Dragonball closely in his hands as they sliced the skies, desperate to get the Dragonballs gathered together to make their wishes.

"We have to go faster!" Vegeta yelled.

Hairiyu could sense them now; they were somewhere on the planet and getting closer to them! She began to grow nervous and anxious; would they make it in time?

As if on cue, Vegeta descended down to a relatively large island. Hairiyu followed the boys and landed beside Krillin – Krillin held out one arm. "Stay here."

Confused, Hairiyu watched as Vegeta rushed towards the other Dragonballs before them; he'd apparently tried to hide them.

The Saiyan turned, smile dropping when he realised what was going on.

"What are you waiting for?" He spat.

Krillin stepped forward, "... This doesn't feel like a good idea," he muttered, holding the Dragonball closer to his chest.

"This isn't a game; we don't have time for this! Give me that ball before I lose my patience! You ignorant bastard, you'll kill us all!" Vegeta bellowed, marching quickly towards the trio and raising one arm-

In a flash, five men had appeared behind the Saiyan. Their sudden appearance had caught Hairiyu completely by surprise. She hadn't even sensed them coming!

She looked them over. One; tall and with a strange blob of red hair on his unusually long head; two, a short stumpy green, four-eyed guy; three, a medium-sized alien with purple skin and horns on his head; four, a red-skinned, white haired fighter; and five, the tallest blue alien Hairiyu'd even seen... and the only one she'd ever seen!

"Hello Vegeta," The purple guy smiled. "It's been a long time."

"T-They moved so fast! I couldn't even sense them approaching!" Krillin shivered.

"We've come to collect you and the Dragonballs, Vegeta," The purple man declared.

Hairiyu's eyes darted over to the Dragonballs Krillin and her father had; would these guys try to steal them from them? She didn't like the looks of them and the feel of their power but she didn't want them to take the Dragonballs away! Her eyes fell on the short green one... A shudder rushed through her body as a lump tried to force its way up her throat.

"Hey Captain, there are five more of those things behind us," the red man reported.

Hairiyu trembled at the sight of the five aliens before her. Each fighter was so strong and looked just as scary! The short green one scared her the most and not because of his strength. He looked like a deformed toad with an extra pair of eyes, the mere sight of him grossing her out. He looked too repugnant and toad-like for Hairiyu's liking!

"Do you think I'll just hand them over to you, Ginyu?" Vegeta bellowed making Hairiyu jump out of her skin.

"Hey, keep your head Hairiyu," Krillin whispered in a hushed voice. "These guys might try something funny at any moment."

"R-Right, sorry," Hairiyu gulped, body shaking nervously.

"No, I think I'll have to beat you to an inch of your life first," the horned man replied coolly. "Why don't you just give them up and come with us back to Lord Freeza."

_'Lord Freeza?'_ Hairiyu raised an eyebrow. _'So they're with that guy from earlier!'_

"... You can find living beings with those scouters but not these, right?" Vegeta smirked.

"Yeah, what about it?" Ginyu asked.

Vegeta jumped and turned, tossing the Dragonball he held far off into the distance, Hairiyu shocked by the sudden move. She turned to watch the ball fly away yet for some bizarre reason she couldn't see it at all!


	26. Chapter 025

**Chapter 025 - The Ginyu Force**

"What?" Vegeta's yell caught his daughter's attention. She turned back around, horrified to see the tall blue man had a Dragonball in his hand!

"S-S-So f-f-fast!" Gohan quivered.

Hairiyu thought she'd seen him move but couldn't tell if that had been movement or not. Her eyes had been kept on the Ginyu Force the whole time and she could have sworn she'd seen the blue man replaced momentarily by a blur. It had been so fast she wasn't sure if her eyes had been playing tricks on her or not. Still it did seem like a coincidence he'd suddenly had the Dragonball in his possession.

Hairiyu'd thought she was fast! This guy was completely in a higher league!

_'Cool'_, she thought to herself. Why she thought it was cool was a complete mystery considering the circumstances they were in!

"Nice try Vegeta but Burter here is the fastest person in the universe!" The purple man jeered.

_'The fastest...'_ Hairiyu repeated. The tall purple guy wasn't kidding!

"Destroy it!" Vegeta bellowed frustratedly.

Hairiyu perked up and turned to see Krillin raising his fist above the last Dragonball in their possession. Her first reaction was to scream out no; if he destroyed it they couldn't get their wish!

Then the Dragonball was gone; one moment in Krillin's hands, the next moment completely gone.

Krillin looked baffled; a look that reflected all of them.

Turning back in confusion, her eyes fell on the green fighter; the Dragonball he now held in his hands was Krillin's Dragonball!

"What just happened?" Krillin asked flabbergasted.

"I didn't even see him move!" Hairiyu gulped. _'There wasn't even a blur like what the blue guy had! I thought he was meant to be the fastest person in the universe?'_

"Damn it. So it's true what they say..." Vegeta cursed.

"Um... Are you gonna tell us what they say?" Krillin asked at a loss.

"They say that Guldo here has the ability to momentarily stop time," Vegeta answered.

"What? That's impossible!" Krillin gasped.

"You just keep thinking that," the green man smiled.

The purple guy started to talk to his men again.

"Vegeta, is there any way out of this?" Krillin asked quietly.

"What do you think?" Vegeta sneered. "It's useless to run. You guys showed a little potential back on Earth before I mauled you! If we combine our powers maybe we can take at least one of them down..."

Hairiyu gulped and took in her father's words. She just wished she could believe in them. She felt as if she'd let everyone down on Earth; did he want her to do that again?

"I'll handle Vegeta, you men ro-sham-bo to see who gets the others?" The purple guy announced. Apparently this was met by an uproar of protest from the other men; Hairiyu guessed the purple guy was their leader.

"Fine, you win!" the purple man sighed. "You all decide between yourselves who gets Vegeta and who gets the other three. I'll take the Dragonballs to Lord Freeza! Aren't I the best leader?"

"You're awesome!" The four cheered in sync.

"Who's gonna get the other three?" the red-haired guy asked. "They don't look like they'd be much if we took one each between the rest of us..."

Krillin, Gohan and Hairiyu all began to quiver, realising they were now the centre of attention.

"I say the winner in ro-sham-bo gets Vegeta and the runner up gets the other three as a set," the red man suggested.

"Sounds good!" the blue man agreed.

"Rock-paper-scissors!"

The game had begun.

Hairiyu watched dumbfounded as the men before her began to ro-sham-bo. She couldn't help but wonder if they were serious about this. It seemed like such a strange way to decide who would fight! It was the kind of thing she and Gohan could get away with, but not grown adults like them!

"... Can't we just run away now while they're not looking?" Gohan asked.

"We could do," Hairiyu nodded.

"Don't even bother, idiots! They'll catch you and kill you in an instant!" Vegeta snorted.

The game continued for quite some time until eventually the red-haired man cheered. "I got Vegeta!"

"Feh, you always win," the short green man pouted.

"Now now Guldo, don't be a sore loser; fair is fair!" the purple man pointed out.

"I'll tell you what Guldo, I'll rough him up a little and let you have a couple of shots," the red-haired man offered.

Hairiyu's eyes diverted to the movement she saw – the Dragonballs were floating up into the air!

"Well I'd better take these back to Lord Freeza; he'll finally gain eternal life!" With that the Captain took off into the air.

_'No... Not the Dragonballs!'_ Her heart sunk.

"Oh no you don't!" Gohan cried, raising one hand back and starting to charge up his energy.

"Don't be a fool!" Vegeta snapped stopping Gohan. "Don't waste your energy – just concentrate on beating these fools!"

Gohan begrudgingly lowered his fist.

Hairiyu frowned, "I don't want him to get his wish either," she mumbled.

Vegeta ushered Krillin over to him and the adults began to talk amongst themselves. Hairiyu picked up upon their opponent; the opponent she was being pitted up against. She was glad she was with Gohan and Krillin but still couldn't get her confidence together. Even if it was three against one, the power these guys had scared her. On top of that, the guy they were facing... he made her feel sick just looking at him!

"Alright, let's go!" The red-haired man jeered stepping towards the fighters. Hairiyu nervously put up her guard alongside the others.

This seemed to bother the tall man. "Hey Guldo, these midgets are in the way! How about you deal with them first?"

The short pudgy green fighter stepped forward with a grunt. "Fine but does this look like a janitor's uniform to you? Why'd I get stuck with the garbage?"

"Gohan, Hairiyu, just remember the image training we did on the ship," Krillin encouraged the two as he put up his defences.

Guldo frowned. "I was hoping they'd just surrender! This is going to be over before you know it!"

Hairiyu gulped, skin crawling as Guldo made his way towards her and the others.

"Ready?" Krillin cried. "Let's go! Release your ki!"

Hairiyu jumped startled as Gohan and Krillin began to power up to maximum beside her. She couldn't find the ability within her to power up! Their opponent was just too disgusting-looking! She didn't want to go anywhere near him or touch him!

In a flash Gohan and Krillin had jumped up into the sky and fired off attacks straight for their opponent...

Hairiyu gasped at what she saw next; he'd vanished at the last second! The beams struck and exploded against the ground, forcing Hairiyu to take to the skies and watch from a safer distance. Both Gohan and Krillin were in pursuit and seemed to have this guy running. They didn't need her help. it would be ok if she didn't join in.

As the fight continued she began to grow more anxious and guilty. She felt bad for Gohan and Krillin; she wanted to fight alongside her friends but that guy just grossed her out! Her heart and head told her to fight but her stomach completely disagreed! He looked so toad-like...

Within a flash, Guldo had somehow ended up on his back! An instant ago he'd been inches from Gohan and yet had somehow ended up a good hundred feet away from him!

"He used it again!" Hairiyu realised, referring to the time control powers.

"Aren't you supposed to be fighting along with them?"

Hairiyu jumped at the sound of her father's voice. She didn't want to tell him why she wasn't fighting, it was too embarrassing and he'd just jeer her about it! She didn't want to tell him he reminded her of a toad and how much she hated frogs and toads – the guy looked slimy!

"Well?" Vegeta barked a little more stern sounding than before.

"... Krillin and Gohan don't need my help..." Hairiyu mumbled quietly.

"KAMEHAMEHAAA!"

"MASENKO HAAAA!"

Two more powerful attacks were fired off; Guldo dodging both by dumb luck!

It seemed Guldo's comrades were growing impatient; Hairiyu could hear them leering at their tired friend making all sorts of threats.

Gohan and Krillin were talking amongst themselves; Hairiyu could make out what they were saying.

"From the looks of things, all that time stopping is beginning to wear him down!" Krillin noted. "This might be our chance! Come on, let's go at him one more time!"

"Yeah," Gohan nodded. "... Hey Krillin, wasn't Hairiyu supposed to be fighting with us?"

"Yeah but I guess she's not!" Krillin nodded. "It doesn't matter; the two of us are more than enough for this guy anyway! Let's go!"

Hairiyu's heart sunk in shame. She was letting them down. Again.

The pursuit continued and continuously Guldo evaded his opponents. The frustration was even getting to Hairiyu; neither Gohan nor Krillin had managed to get a single hit in because of his powers! They were unfair to have! Just watching him dodge and dodge again was getting on her nerves! She knew she wanted to help the guys out but she had no idea how to do so without going too close to that freak they were fighting!

It looked like she wasn't the only one getting annoyed. Once again Guldo's friends began to threaten him to end the fight.

Gohan and Krillin charged in once again.

"Those idiots!" Vegeta snarled to himself. "They'll never beat him charging head-on at him!"

Hairiyu had heard him and wondered if she could use it to her advantage. What would Piccolo do...?

Something had happened. With a terrific squeal, Guldo's ki surged and somehow Gohan and Krillin had stopped moving, now seemingly stuck in mid-air!

Hairiyu watched in confusion; she had a bad feeling about this!

"I warned them about his abilities and they go and charge him head-on!" Vegeta snapped.

The two Earth-fighters struggled to break free of whatever it was holding them static in the air, neither of them able to do so. Hairiyu couldn't figure out what exactly it was but she assumed it was because of something that Guldo guy had done. Surely if she somehow managed to distract his attention, the two boys would be freed. There had to be something she could do; they needed her help! What though, what could she do to help them?

Guldo began to use some more strange power; tiny fragments of the ground rose and began to pelt Gohan and Krillin.

Hairiyu began to grow angry. This guy was hurting her friends. He'd pretty much been in total control of this fight from the start and it was infuriating to see her friends be shown up like this! She didn't want to see them be pelted with rocks, be unable to hit their targets and be the butts of jokes make by mean aliens who were trying to kill them!

Guldo rose up towards Gohan and Krillin and began to beat each of them down.

Hairiyu saw her chance. She slowly descended down towards the ground. Her opponent Guldo did the same, now taking an interest in a tree nearby. He somehow managed to sharpen it into a spear, now somehow holding it up into the air with what Hairiyu could only guess was telekinesis or psychic powers.

He was going to throw it!

Charging her ki in a quick burst to her feet, Hairiyu jumped forward as fast as she could feet-first.

The unsuspecting Guldo turned around at the last second, allowing Hairiyu to strike him straight between his eyes!

The hit sent the pudgy fighter rolling across the ground.

Although she had been wearing shoes and socks, Hairiyu felt she may have well have just touched him bare-foot – her foot felt diseased and disgusting to her now! She hurriedly rubbed it against the ground below her as if she'd die if she didn't!

"Hey, I can move again!"

"Me too!"

Hairiyu was glad to hear her friend's voices but she had more important things to worry about! Despite frantically brushing the foot she'd kicked him with against the grass, Hairiyu stood her ground metres away from Guldo who was getting to his feet; face bruised where he'd been struck.

The short fighter faced her furious. "H-How dare you, you little snot-nosed brat!" He bellowed. "I was just about to kill them!"

"I won't let you do that!" Hairiyu bellowed back, still grossed out by the chubby fighter. "You're gross, smelly and a bad fighter! Your breath smells so bad I can smell it from here! NO ONE THAT DISGUSTING AND SLIMY IS GONNA HURT MY FRIENDS!"

"WHAT? YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR! I'LL KILL YOU FIRST!" Guldo roared taking a couple of steps forward raising both his hands-

There was a flash of light.

Guldo's head fell off his shoulders and rolled across the ground.

Hairiyu almost vomited in disgust, having to avert her eyes.

Vegeta stood beside the decapitated body, attention on the severed head. Hairiyu could hear it was talking but couldn't make out his words. It wasn't a long conversation; with little effort and little thought, Vegeta blasted the talking head. It vanished into a fire, dust and dirt blown up into the air.

She felt sickened; she hated how violent and gruesome her father was. She hated how violent and gruesome battle was!

Her attention wasn't on it for too long; Krillin and Gohan landed beside her.

"Hey, thanks for the help Hairiyu," Krillin smiled. "What made you not fight with us from the beginning?"

Hairiyu blushed and looked at the ground awkwardly. She really didn't wanna say! "Well... um..."

"Does it really matter?" Gohan asked. "At least this way she was able to catch that guy off guard!"

"Yeah, that's true," Krillin nodded, turning his attention to Vegeta. "I never expected you to intervene and save us all though..."

"Thank you very much," Gohan smiled.

Vegeta snorted and glared at the trio, "Save you? Don't push your luck! I didn't do it to save you; it was the perfect opportunity to dispose of that repulsive Guldo! Don't waste your time feeling saved because that was only the beginning! Next time you won't be so lucky!"

Hairiyu smiled to herself. She liked the thought that perhaps her dad had tried to save them, even if she knew this wasn't true!

The remaining three Ginyu Force Fighters seemed to be in a panic. The blue man and red man began to ro-sham-bo again!

"... These guys are rather strange..." Krillin mumbled.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll keep tying forever..." Gohan stared baffled.

"Now is when the real Hell begins." Vegeta muttered.

"Alright Vegeta, now it's our turn."

Hairiyu realised the tall red-haired man was making his way forwards. This was the man who'd ended up getting to fight her dad. She felt anxious for her dad's wellbeing, not entirely sure how this was going to end up. _'Please win this, dad...'_ She prayed in her mind.

"By the way kids, this fight is between me and Vegeta – but if you feel like jumping in to help him then that's fine with me!"

"Whoa Recoome! The little midgets are ours!" The red man yelled. "Don't kill them!"

Krillin glared agitated, "... Are they making fun of us?"

"Either way we're toast!" Gohan gulped.

Recoome stopped and suddenly began to strike some flamboyant and wacky poses! "Ginyu... Force... Recoome!"

His opponents once again were baffled by the sight before them.

"Unbelievable..." Krillin mumbled.

"Why are they always doing that?" Hairiyu asked scratching her head. "They look kinda funny..." She was finding it confusing that these powerful guys were this wacky!

The shockwave of her father's ki knocked Hairiyu from her thoughts and she found herself having to defend from the wind and dust.

In an instant Vegeta had dashed forwards and the fight had begun. It looked so one-sided; Vegeta was all over his opponent.

_'Yeah, that's it! Go get him daddy!'_ Hairiyu smiled, cheering in her head.

Vegeta swung the towering fighter around by his ankle, tossing him to a far-off rock formation. He immediately fired up his ki and sent out a terrifyingly strong energy attack. Hairiyu screamed and jumped down to the floor.

The attack struck the rubble, exploding upon impact and sending up a gigantic mushroom cloud. Hairiyu's ears hurt with the loud explosion, eyes stinging from the strong winds and dust that had kicked off from the blast. Even at the distance she was from it she struggled to stay on the ground.

"SEE YOU IN HELL RECOOME!" Vegeta bellowed, sending even more power through the blast, creating even larger explosions and almost turning the entire area into a sea of deep dust and rubble.

The rumble of the aftershocks could still be heard even when the ground stopped violently shaking below them. Hairiyu peered through the smoke to try and get an idea of what had just happened.


	27. Chapter 026

**Chapter 026 - At Recoome's Mercy**

Her ears were ringing from the sheer noise of the explosion. Hairiyu slowly got to her feet, tending to her ears and glanced over to where she thought Recoome had been. All that remained was a large plume of smoke, still too thick for her to see through. Whist still stunned at the amount of power her father and these guys had, Hairiyu was beginning to grow used to the idea that these guys were capable of far greater things than she was used to!

"Vegeta settled it in one blow! You've gotta admire the stinking evil bastard!" Krillin muttered.

"N-No... A ki! I can still sense a ki!" Gohan shivered petrified.

Recoome's ki shot through Hairiyu's mind as she was able to pick back up on it. Face dropped as the smoke cleared to reveal the brute standing in some sort of ridiculous pose. This was bad.

"T-That's not possible...!" Krillin stuttered, "How could he have survived an attack like that?"

"This is crazy! H-He isn't even hurt!" Hairiyu cried shivering in terror. What was her dad going to do? From the feel of his ki, a lot of energy had gone into that attack and Hairiyu knew her father would be suffering because of it. She didn't want it to linger but she couldn't shake off the dreaded feeling stubbornly blocking her throat.

"He's not even breathing hard!" Gohan wailed. "What the heck are we gonna do?"

"Nice try but now it's my turn!" Recoome began to walk towards them. His armour had been completely blown apart by Vegeta's attack, his clothes shredded in places, his body injured... yet he walked as if nothing had happened. Hairiyu didn't understand, surely he must have been in some kind of pain? He was bleeding and had cuts all over the place!

"RECOOME KICK!"

Hairiyu barely saw him move but she saw his knee make contact with her father's jaw, sending him flying backwards.

"D-DAD!" she screamed in horror unable to stop herself from doing so.

After a momentary lapse in control Vegeta regained himself, flipping onto a rock and bolting back towards Recoome. The Saiyan threw punch after punch out at Recoome who anticipated each and every single one. In one shot, Recoome elbowed Vegeta into the ground, the Saiyan striking it hard.

In a dash the fight took to the sky as Vegeta leapt out of harm's way (Recoome's fist striking the ground instead of its intended target), firing down an energy blast which Recoome dodged. He was suddenly behind Vegeta and kicking him down into the water, Vegeta's entry propelling a large column of water to burst up into the air with a terrific smash.

Hairiyu was too terrified of the truth; had he just been...? No, not her dad! He was a tough fighter – regardless of whose side he was on – there was no way he could be beaten like this! Hairiyu'd never seen him be tossed around like this, even if she'd only seen two of his fights! He'd always won...

"I don't think he's coming up guys," Krillin gulped.

Hairiyu stared wide-eyed at the ripples; her dad had to have been hurt badly from the force of him hitting the water! It wasn't looking good at all and she was debating whether to jump in and try and find him.

With no warning there was another blast of water as Vegeta burst free from the surface, pile-driving straight into Recoome with both fists as hard as he could! The sudden move seemed to have caught the brute off-guard as Vegeta continued to pound into him.

The tables turned; Vegeta was grabbed and lifted above Recoome's head. In a bolt of light Recoome was flying full-pelt towards the ground.

"No!" Hairiyu gasped in horror, Vegeta being tossed down and hitting the ground with a large crash, dirt and dust displaced through the shockwave of wind. The dramatic drop in his ki terrified Hairiyu; that had taken over half of his remaining energy.

As the dust cleared Recoome emerged smiling and laughing to himself as he stood over a small crater, Vegeta's legs firmly sticking out of the ground.

Recoome took a step forward and crouched down, grabbing one of Vegeta's ankles. "Looks like I might have overdid it there!" With little effort the towering warrior pulled Vegeta clean from the ground. "Don't tell me you're dead already?"

_'Don't be dead, please don't be dead, daddy!'_ Hairiyu begged desperately to herself.

Suddenly Vegeta's hands swung forward blasting Recoome straight between the eyes, engulfing his face in smoke. The strike loosened Recoome's grip and the Saiyan fell to the ground on his back, Recoome landing fifteen metres away limp and lifeless.

The attack had startled everyone watching including the three Earth fighters. Hairiyu watched in fear and with admiration for her father as he shakily rose to his feet, hunched over and physically exhausted. She was certain she didn't want to see what was left of Recoome's skull and did everything to stop thinking about it.

"He did it," Krillin smiled.

_'He did, didn't he?'_ Hairiyu wondered; Vegeta's attention was still on the taller fighter. She couldn't help feel something about this seemed a little off. Why was her father focusing so much on his opponent?

A couple more seconds passed.

Recoome suddenly bounced off the ground and onto his feet, squatting low to the dirt. For someone whose face had taken quite a scraping from the energy attack, he had a strange smile. "Yeah, that's more like it! No wonder you was one of Freeza's favourites – you're so brutal!"

"H-H-How is he s-still al-live?" Krillin spluttered terrified.

"K-K-Krillin... He's... he's a monster!" Hairiyu gawked. How had he done that? No real person who felt pain should be able to do that! Her father was up against a monster; that was the only way she knew how to describe him!

"So don't you have anything with a little more oomph? Don't tell me that's all that you've got Vegeta?"

Hairiyu took a shaky step back. No way. There was no way her dad was gonna last much longer; he looked physically exhausted and his breathing was still short and frequent. His ki was nowhere near this guy's ki. They were all going to die. Krillin, Gohan and herself weren't nearly as strong as Vegeta and he was being treated like a toy!

"... Listen to me you guys."

Both Gohan and Hairiyu looked at the seasoned fighter.

"At this rate, Vegeta's gonna be taken down by the big guy," Krillin muttered grimly. "Not even he stands a chance against these guys, they're just too much for all of us combined. As soon as he's taken down, they'll come after us. We've got nothing to lose – as soon as Recoome attacks Vegeta, we charge him!"

Hairiyu repeated it in her mind albeit startled by Krillin's words. _'Charge him? The guy who's strong enough to beat my dad?'_

"This is the end!" Recoome's burly voice cut through her thoughts as he struck some strange poses.

"Now, while his defences are down! Vegeta doesn't have the strength left to dodge!" Krillin muttered venomously. "Gohan grab Vegeta, Hairiyu follow my lead!"

"RECOOME!" The brute yelled striking yet more poses; his ki rising rapidly. Hairiyu knew this was it.

"ERASER GUN!"

A strong bolt of purple energy burst forth from Recoome's mouth rapidly; in the midst of it all the three fighters leapt into action. Krillin and Hairiyu bolted straight for Recoome; Gohan headed for Vegeta.

Krillin slammed his knees down on Recoome's skull, slamming his mouth shut and shutting off his energy attack; Hairiyu head-butting him between his ribs and hip as hard as she could. For the briefest of seconds she couldn't register anything.

There was a catastrophic explosion, knocking Hairiyu onto her back and sending her rolling slightly before she managed to grip hard enough onto the ground. Her eyes were clamped shut, she couldn't hear anything but white noise and could only feel the wind stinging her all over.

The shaking soon stopped as did the wind, fragments of dirt and rock began to rain down to the ground.

"He warped the planet with that attack... What power he had!"

Hairiyu opened her eyes and slowly looked up; Recoome not too far away from her. He wasn't moving...

"Not bad little dudes."

She was wrong. Recoome energetically rose to his feet as if nothing had even happened. "Your little sneak attack to my head hit so hard it slammed my mouth shut!" He turned around and smiled at the two startled warriors, a puff of dark smoke belching forth from his mouth. "Just look at my teeth... kinda pisses me off."

Recoome began to approach Krillin, ignoring Hairiyu as he walked straight past her. Hairiyu's feet had glued her to the ground, her head turning as Recoome moved across her visual space. Recoome glanced over towards his teammates, "Hey, Burter, Jeice! Let me do these three little shrimps too!"

"Fine but you'll have to treat us to chocolate parfaits later!" the blue man loudly answered.

"Kay!" Recoome growled. "You see where you stand munchkin?" His eyes fixated back to Krillin who took a couple of steps back.

Hairiyu couldn't move.

In an instant Krillin had been kicked and sent violently skidding across the ground landing in a crumpled heap.

"Krillin!" The attack hadn't gone unnoticed by Gohan as he dashed over to his fallen comrade.

"Aww damn it, his cue-ball-head didn't skid nearly as much as I thought it would!" Recoome smirked.

Hairiyu looked over; Gohan and Krillin were quite some distance away from her. She could hear Gohan talking but didn't know what he was saying; the words weren't registering in her head!

"... You sneak-attacked me also, didn't you kid?"

Hairiyu jumped and stared straight at Recoome, terrified and struggling to keep her composure as he took a couple of steps towards her. She didn't want to be here right now. Her father and Krillin were both out of the fight; it was just two small kids up against a terrifyingly strong fighter. She wanted to be safe at home with her mama and grandparents!

There was a blur and an overwhelming feel of pain centring in Hairiyu's throbbing cheek as the world spun around. At some point she made contact with the ground, she wasn't sure when.

She slipped in and out of consciousness for a little while, able to make out the sounds of explosions and see flashes of light. Just when it felt things were quietening down around her, another explosion would break the silence, making her more aware of her surroundings.

When her consciousness finally returned she realised she was face-up staring at the sky. She was still on Namek. There was still a fight going on.

Gohan was fighting.

Shakily Hairiyu rolled over and got to her feet just in time to see Gohan bounce violently against some nearby rocks. The sight terrified her – was he hurt?

She was able to stand and she still had most of her power. Nothing seemed to be broken which was a relief, although her cheek was throbbing. It must have been from when that Recoome monster had hit her.

Seizing her chance to try and catch her opponent off-guard, Hairiyu began to charge up her signature attack. The blue light of her ki shined brighter and brighter as she gathered more and more of her ki.

Gohan tossed up an energy attack; Recoome blew it straight back at him! In that instant Gohan leapt up into the sky, Recoome appearing behind in and striking him down!

Hairiyu saw her change – she fired off her Kentoka Flash directly at her opponent's back.

To her horror, Recoome turned and swung out his hand, effortlessly slapping the energy attack straight back down to Hairiyu!

The young Saiyan jumped backwards, engulfed by the dust and smoke of her own attack, choked and dry-eyed. She managed to escape the small cloud – running straight into Recoome's waiting fist which connected with her solar plexus. The strong blow pushed out the little breath Hairiyu already had in her lungs and she gagged out, blood dripping to the ground below her. She crumpled onto her face holding her ribs in agony, seething in the burning pain.

Recoome's foot was suddenly on top of her head, pushing her face straight against the hard surface of the ground. Hairiyu cried out, her nose being crushed against the dirt as she struggled to fight back. Her stomach hurt, her whole face hurt, she couldn't get up!

The pressure was suddenly lifted, Recoome's heavy weight no longer on her. Confused and relieved Hairiyu looked up; Gohan held out his hands towards her direction; had he thrown an attack out to free her?

"Alright midgets, you wanna play it that way?" Recoome was high in the air above them. "Let's see how good your dodging skills are!"

Gohan rushed over and helped Hairiyu to her feet, "We need to run!" He cried.

"BOOM!" Recoome yelled, firing off ki attack after ki attack.

Try as hard as she might, Hairiyu couldn't get her body to respond anymore. Although it was far and few, each attack Recoome had dealt had a large effect on her; he was just far too powerful! All she felt were dull aches across her body, her ki wavering as she ran.

Dozens of energy balls rained down on the two worn-out warriors as Recoome laughed sadistically. Both Gohan and Hairiyu were under fire and both scrambled across the ground trying not to be hit.

Exhausted and with every muscle crying out for rest, Hairiyu collapsed just as a blast struck the ground next to her.

The explosion ripped her off the ground and sent her rolling several metres before coming to a stop. Her arms and legs twitched yet her eyes were heavily drooped and her breath short. Her determination to get back up was no longer a match for the overpowering need to rest.

"...P... Pi...collo... I'm... sorry..." She couldn't find any more strength. Hairiyu's body needed to rest. She struggled to stay awake but watched as Gohan was thrown down. The young boy managed to keep on getting back up. Hairiyu couldn't help but notice how much Gohan had changed since Piccolo'd died. He was far more determined, gave up far less often... unlike her... She was still the same.

"... I... I'm the... son of... Son Goku... the warrior..." Gohan groaned, wearily walking towards the towering Recoome.

_'Gohan... Stay down!'_ Hairiyu could barely keep her eyes open as she watched from where she'd fallen. _'You can't fight... anymore...'_ Even from how far she was she could tell how tired he was.

"I take it back," Recoome smiled, "I don't know what planet you're from midge but you've got more than I thought!"

"... I won't let you beat me!"

Gohan leapt forward blindly charging forwards.

"Tough luck you had to go against me!" Recoome jeered, jumping over Gohan dodging his punch with ease...

His left leg drew back.

There was a terrifically loud crack.

Gohan's ki plummeted as he fell to the ground on his back, head unnaturally far back and body twitching.

The sound echoed through Hairiyu's mind as she stared terrified at her friend. From where she lay she couldn't see any movement and even more alarming was how much his ki signal was waning.

Was he dying?


	28. Chapter 027

**Chapter 027 - A Spaceman Came Travelling**

_'Gohan... you can't die...'_ Hairiyu's trembling fists grasped at the blue grass ripping it up from the dirt. Her anger began to bubble and seethe heat through her aching body; she hated Recoome. She wanted to charge him and beat him down for what he'd done to everyone yet her body was too sore and limp to move.

"Oh well, I guess I'd better kill them all," Recoome sighed disappointed, the sadistic joy of toying with everyone had worn off now that no one could fight back.

Through all the commotion, there was a small but distinctive high-pitched squealing.

The young girl couldn't look up high enough into the sky but judging by everyone else's movements, they were aware of the sound.

What was it?

Exhaustion began to kick in and Hairiyu struggled as the world around her faded, finding herself being dragged back and forward through a dream-like state and the nightmare that was reality. She couldn't figure out what was going on, she couldn't even figure out anything! All she could do was lay there and endure whatever it was she was going through. Her body pounded with each beat, pain burning her with every thump, the breath in her lungs little and painful with every pulsation of her heart. She felt so awful as if her body was being burned.

In the confused blurry shapes floating in her eyesight, a shadow appeared above her. It was accompanied by a familiar voice.

"...is ter...ble..."

She recognised it. It was a man she knew she'd spoken to before.

"...iyu, eat this senzu bean."

Her vision blurred a little less; she could make out a face of a man with spiky hair, orange and blue blurring below his face.

"I can't move my arms..." Hairiyu spluttered amazed she could even speak so coherently!

"Ok, just stay calm; I'll feed it to you,"

Something pressed against her lips and into her mouth, most of it retracting away leaving something slightly bigger than a grain of rice. Whatever was left tasted foul! Hairiyu's instant reaction to the bean was to spit it out; it tasted disgusting!

"Just eat it, trust me," the man's voice was clearer now.

Knowing now who it was, Hairiyu reluctantly did as she was told and swallowed. "That's yuck..." She mumbled, brain still quiet and empty.

Suddenly the burning stopped.

Hairiyu's body jerked for the briefest of moments. She felt fine! Her mind was clear, her vision sharp, her hearing no longer muffled! What was weirdest of all was that her body felt fine!

Baffled as she sat up, she watched as Goku walked towards Krillin. What had he just made her eat?

"It's a weird feeling, huh?" Gohan was nearby and seemed to be giggling over something.

Hairiyu looked herself up and down, "That yucky bean brought my energy back? All my aches and pains have gone too!"

"My dad wants us to follow him," Gohan grabbed Hairiyu by her tattered wristband and the duo walked after the taller fighter. As they followed Hairiyu took a deep look at Goku. Something did seem a little different about him... or maybe she didn't remember him right! All she knew was she always had a strange feeling when looking at him during a battle. Something about him just made her feel that perhaps everything was going to be alright. She didn't really know why but she felt safe with him being with them.

"Hey, why's Vegeta hurt too?" Goku asked.

"It was that guy," Gohan answered, "he's really strong, dad!"

Hairiyu watched quietly as Goku fed Krillin a senzu bean, the two adults having a conversation between themselves.

"Can't you see how powerful they are?" Krillin was saying, "It doesn't matter how much better we get; they'll still beat us down again! Not even you could beat them Goku. Even Vegeta over there was beaten by them."

Hairiyu looked over at her father; he looked terribly beaten down, even if he was still conscious. The Saiyan had sunk to his knees.

"... Why was Vegeta fighting them? Weren't they meant to be in the same league?" Goku's question made Hairiyu turn her attention back to them.

"Well they were at first..." Krillin stopped as Goku placed a hand on his head.

"You don't need to talk, I'm gonna try and feel it," Goku instructed.

A couple of moments passed, Hairiyu tilted her head to the side in confusion. Whatever Goku was doing it reminded her of the Great Elder drawing out people's powers. Even with the draw-out, Hairiyu still hadn't been much help, or so she thought.

"...Now I know everything," Goku smiled, "why your powers are all so much higher, that Bulma's safe, that the Dragonballs were taken by these guys, about Freeza and these guys and Vegeta too."

Krillin and the two children were baffled. "W-What, how did you?"

"It doesn't look like Vegeta's turned over a new leaf but it looks like he saved your lives," Goku added, glancing over to his fellow Saiyan. "... Only one senzu left..." he noted reaching into the small pouch.

"Where did you get this new power?" Krillin asked startled.

"Hey Vegeta!" Goku called ignoring Krillin, "Catch!"

He tossed the last senzu bean towards the Saiyan Prince startling Krillin even more!

Vegeta caught the tiny object and observed it carefully.

"It's senzu, eat it!" Goku yelled.

"You gave him the last senzu? Are you out of your mind – even for you?" Krillin protested.

Vegeta ate the bean; Hairiyu wondered how surprised he'd be with the bean's powers...

"You're insane!" Krillin cried. "I guess you want him fighting alongside us-"

"No, that's not it," Goku shook his head, "I wanna finish the fight we started on Earth later. I'll take care of these guys myself."

"What?" Hairiyu gawped in shock. Was he really serious? Krillin was right, he was insane!

"N-No dad!" Gohan gasped, his father making his way over towards Recoome.

"He's nuts – even for himself he's lost it!" Krillin mumbled stunned. "This is it, we're gonna have to charge in you guys. Goku's reckless but this is completely crazy even for him!"

Although she didn't like the sounds of charging in considering what that monster had done to them all, Hairiyu knew she had to be brave. She didn't want Gohan's dad to be hurt.

"You know, you're one weird dude!" Recoome's loud and burly voice was hard not to hear! "You seriously think you can stand up to us? All I ask is that you make it interesting." He turned to the other two Ginyu Force members standing to the side. "Hey, what's this geek's power level?"

"Geek is well-put," the blue man snorted. "He's at a lowly five-thousand!"

"That it? So it's another let-down..." Recoome turned back to Goku. "All talk and no action."

This was bad; if Goku was only at five-thousand then there was no way they could win! Then again if memory served her right, she could have sworn during the battle on Earth, her father had declared Goku's power was over eight-thousand... Had he grown weaker since then? It didn't add up!

"You can't beat me," Goku declared, "I can see that now."

This comment had caught many of those who'd heard it by surprise.

Recoome burst out laughing, "Hey did you hear that? This guy thinks he's beaten me! He thinks he can bluff his way outta this fight!"

"Something's happened to him. Goku never used to bluff like this!" Krillin mumbled.

"Doesn't my dad see how powerful this guy is?" Gohan asked.

Hairiyu didn't get it either. She could sense Recoome's ki was a lot stronger than Goku's ki. Just why was he so confident when there was such a big difference in power?

"OK, I've had enough of this geek's jokes, I'm gonna shut him up for good," Recoome put his guard up. "Get ready kid!"

Hairiyu gulped and clenched her fists anxiously. The fight was about to start.

"GINYU FORCE! RECOOME!" Recoome bellowed as he began to strike a couple of poses. "MACH ATTACK!"

At blinding speed Recoome jolted forward swinging out his fist at Goku—

Goku was gone.

Recoome stood baffled with his fist at arm's length. Where had Goku gone?

Hairiyu looked around in disbelief, she couldn't see him anywhere! What had just happened? She didn't understand how he could have suddenly vanished!

"There he is!" Krillin pointed. "How did he manage to go so far so fast?"

Hairiyu looked over and gasped; Goku was standing behind the other two Ginyu Force fighters; both were glaring back at him! She couldn't work it out. How had he moved so fast in an instant – she didn't even see a blur!

Goku's voice was audible but the words weren't. After a small talk with the short red man and the tall blue guy, Goku hovered back over to his opponent.

"So you're fast – big deal! You won't win by running away all the time!" Recoome jeered. "Now it's time for me to get serious – I guess I'm gonna have to show you my ultimate attack! I'll tell you now, you won't be able to outrun this because a large circle around me will get blown to nothing!"

Hairiyu gulped, what was he talking about? A large circle? How big was this going to be?

"S-Shit!" Krillin gasped, "This is bad! We're not gonna be able to outrun this in time!"

That sent panic through her. Hairiyu wished Krillin hadn't spoken! She didn't want to imagine how powerful this attack would be!

"RECOOME!" Recoome began to pose for another attack.

Hairiyu began to shake. This couldn't be it!

"ULTRA!" He raised his hands above his head.

His ki was shooting up.

"MEGA-"

A flash of light was all that suggested something had happened. There was no sudden gust of wind to push them off their feet. There was no loud explosion.

Cautiously and with her heart thumping powerfully in her ribs, Hairiyu slowly opened one eye.

Goku stood over his opponent, who'd fallen to his knees clutching his stomach and wailing in agony.

Hairiyu was clueless. What had happened?

"Sorry, you were so wide open I couldn't help it," Goku apologised.

"... You... little... punk..."

Recoome collapsed onto his face, butt up in the air.

Hairiyu couldn't believe it. Recoome's ki had fallen dangerously low in that one instant. It had left her speechless!

"... Did dad beat him?" Gohan asked baffled.

"It can't be..." Krillin spluttered in disbelief, "Even if he caught him off-guard, that guy never even flinched at Vegeta or our attacks! That was just one single blow!"

One move had just taken down the guy who'd beaten herself, Krillin, Gohan and even her father and still hadn't broken a sweat! Had it been pure luck or was there something else going on? Goku's energy hadn't changed at all! Hairiyu didn't get it!

"What now?" Goku turned to the other two Ginyu Force fighters. "Will you go back to your own planet or do I have to keep hitting you?"

This was insane! Hairiyu'd never known anyone as ridiculously crazy as Gohan's father! What was he talking about; he wanted them to leave so he didn't have to hit them? What was he doing? Hairiyu watched carefully, curious to see what the other two would do. Neither looked too pleased.

"G-Goku knows something," Krillin muttered.

"Let's go!" The red skinned fighter jeered.

"So you're not going to leave?" Goku asked.

Hairiyu gulped and tightened her grip; it looked like this was going to get far, far worse for them all!

The two fighters charged forwards; the blue guy shooting ahead of the red guy. Both landed either side of Goku, surrounding him. "Now..." the red guy spoke, "... you'll see what happens when you underestimate the Ginyu-"

The man yelped as his head rocked back; Goku'd punched him square between the eyes! Hairiyu tried to stifle a laugh and kept quiet; was this really happening?

"You keep leaving yourselves wide open," Goku mumbled.

"Oh you are DEAD!" The red man yelled.

Goku blocked both fighters' attacks with his arms. He kicked the red guy back and tripped the blue man; both regained themselves and stood. Peculiarly Goku tossed both hands out; something sent the two Ginyu Force fighters flying backwards as a gust of wind picked up.

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow. Were they just messing around? Goku seemed to be winning!

"That was a kiai!" Krillin exclaimed. "Goku just blew them away with a basic little kiai!"

"... But... I thought these guys were supposed to be strong..." Gohan mumbled, "... they're helpless against dad!"

"Their ki is as strong as that Recoome guy," Krillin realised. "It's gotta be that Goku's too strong for them so these guys look weak in comparison!"

"I don't get it," Hairiyu mumbled, "I can't sense Gohan's dad's ki rising at all Krillin; those two feel so much stronger!"

"I don't really have an answer for that..." Krillin mumbled.

"CRUSHER-"

The sudden rise in the red man's ki caught the trio's attention. Hairiyu was sure he had just as much ki in that ball as what had been in Recoome's Eraser Gun from earlier!

"-BALL!"The fighter smacked the ball forwards straight for Goku.

"...What are you doing? Why aren't you dodging it?" The blue guy yelled rather loudly, the spectators easily picking up on it.

Goku slapped the ball effortlessly to the side, sending it straight towards the blue man who dodged with ease, albeit he seemed a little stunned.

In a flash Goku was behind him, again catching everyone by surprise.

_'Gohan's dad is really fast...'_ Hairiyu's eyes were wide in awe. He seemed to be faster than the blue man! Didn't he say he was the fastest in the universe? Well whatever, he was now having a talk with Goku, they were so far away Hairiyu couldn't hear them.

The fight started up again as the blue man went on the attack; Hairiyu could only just make out the blur of his fists, finding it harder to see Goku! The red guy joined in, struggling in a closely-knit frenzy of attacks.

A flash later and the blue guy was sent hurtling towards the ground at a dangerous speed-  
He was spared inches from the ground; Goku holding him above his head. It had been just like the fight with Nappa!

Goku tossed the man to the ground.

Everyone was stunned, jaws dropping to the floor.

"Do you see now?" Goku yelled up at the last remaining Ginyu Force fighter. "There's no point in fighting! Take your friends and get off this planet!"

Hairiyu looked at Goku in sheer awe and admiration. How he'd done what he had done was beyond her but what surprised her was how he was dealing with the situation. Piccolo had taught her the fight wasn't over until her opponent was dead. As much as she hated that and could never make herself kill anyone, she was surprised to see such a difference in opinion here. Goku wasn't killing his opponents; he was letting them live.

Could a fight end that way? Could a fighter really be that merciful and be able to get away with it? Hairiyu really hoped so, for her own sake...

"What are you doing, fool?" Vegeta's yell caught Hairiyu by surprise. "Finish him off!"

"He is finished!" Goku snapped back. "There's no reason to kill him!"

There was no reason? Of course there wasn't! She liked that there wasn't! She didn't want to see anyone or anything die, it was too distressing! Could she be able to fight like he did? She wanted to; she didn't want to kill anyone!

In an apparent panic, the red man suddenly took off!

"He ran away!" Gohan cried.

"He left his friends here," Goku frowned disappointed. "What a friend he is!"

"Hey..." Krillin caught Goku's attention and he looked around at the trio, "... are you really Goku?" Krillin asked.

Before he could answer, Goku turned back around.

Vegeta had teleported and slammed straight into the blue man's neck. Hairiyu gasped as he saw the man's body jerk with the impact, his ki diminishing instantly!


	29. Chapter 028

**Chapter 028 - Race For The Dragonballs**

"Vegeta!" Goku cried. "What are you doing?"

The Saiyan prince leapt off Burter's neck, which had collapsed under the impact of the attack. No doubt he would not be breathing for much longer - if he were still able to breathe!

Vegeta turned and fired off an energy attack straight for Recoome, who was still out from Goku's earlier strike. The bent-over fighter vanished in a thick cloud of dust as the attack hit; his ki vanishing alongside him.

Hairiyu flinched and turned away from the wind; she hated seeing people die. It always made her want to burst out crying no matter whether the person was good or bad, seeing people in pain was horrible!

What was the point in fighting? What was the point in her fighting? She didn't enjoy it, she found it terrifying and upsetting, especially for someone at her age! Why did she have to do it?

"I said there was no reason to kill anybody!" Goku bellowed furiously. "They couldn't even move!"

The cold look in her dad's eyes sent shivers down Hairiyu's spine. "Your softness makes me retch as usual! Why did you stand there and let one of them get away? You're no Super Saiyan after all!"

Hairiyu perked up on her father's words. _'Super Saiyan?'_ What was that? Some kind of super hero Saiyan? She thought Goku fitted that perfectly!

"Super Saiyan?" Goku repeated.

"I guess you're proud to have gotten so strong but you're still not strong enough to beat Freeza, not without becoming immortal!" Vegeta jeered. "You still don't know the terror you're up against!"

"Wait a minute..." Goku mumbled, "I'm more powerful than ever, by far and yet you're saying I still don't match up against Freeza?"

Hairiyu wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer to that!

"Freeza's might is beyond anything you can conceive," Vegeta retaliated, "You cannot even prepare yourself."

She was right; she didn't want to hear the answer!

"That's ridiculous Vegeta!" Krillin smiled. "You saw how easily Goku tossed those other guys around!"

"Well you can fight him and see..." Vegeta smirked. "Just remember that Freeza has probably been granted eternal life by the Dragonballs by now! I'd say our best bet is to pray we don't come across him!"

Was he telling the truth? Hairiyu felt a cold shiver come over her. If Freeza had already gotten his wish, that meant they couldn't bring the others back to life – especially if he'd used up all three wishes! It was all over! There was no point of them even being here now; they'd lost the fight.

She couldn't bear the thought of having to tell her mother, grandparents and all of those on Earth that they'd failed...

"I don't think he's gotten eternal life yet."

All eyes fell on Krillin.

"H-How do you know?" Vegeta asked curiously.

"Well if these Dragonballs are the same as the ones on Earth, it should get dark when Shenron appears, right?" Krillin explained. "Well it's been daylight the whole time! I don't think it's happened yet."

"... Shenron?" Vegeta repeated more to himself than to the others. "You mean there's some kind of being involved with the Dragonballs?"

Hairiyu looked at Gohan who just shrugged his shoulders. She had no idea what to have expected from the Dragonballs of Namek. Her mother had told her stories of the ones on Earth but there had already been differences between the two sets. For one, her mother had told her the Earth Dragonballs could fit in the palm of your hand, where as the ones from here were huge!

"I get it!" Goku exclaimed. "Freeza doesn't know the words! He probably thinks you get your wish granted just by gathering all seven Dragonballs together! We still have a chance to get our wish!"

Hairiyu smiled in hope; she really, really, really wanted Goku to be right! She remembered her mother telling her all about the Dragonballs now! The words, what happened to the sky, how a massive dragon would appear and talk in a really deep and loud voice, demanding they tell him their wish!

"We can still bring everyone back to life!" Gohan cheered. "Yay!"

"Wait you guys, we're not out of the woods yet!" Krillin butted in. "We've still got a small problem –trying to get those Dragonballs back from those guys!"

"Vegeta, you know these guys pretty well," Goku turned to the shorter Saiyan, "any ideas?"

Now Hairiyu was happy to have her dad on their side; he could tell them all about their enemy! Piccolo'd always said any information was valuable when it came to a fight!

"I thought you were going to fight Freeza instead?" Vegeta snorted.

"Well I was going to..." Goku replied, "... to tell you the truth, Kaio told me to stay away from him. As much as I wanna fight him, I think our first task should be to bring back those people you killed."

"That's your wish?" Vegeta chuckled amused, making Hairiyu feel a little cross. Was he saying their wish was stupid or something?

"Idiot, what good will it be when Frieza blows up your planet someday?" Vegeta sniggered. "Grant me eternal life instead!"

"N-No way!" Krillin snapped. "If we did that then you'd be no different than Freeza!"

Vegeta glanced over his shoulder as his attention was averted, ignoring Krillin's protests. A smirk formed on his face. "Well, well, well! It looks like Jeice – the one Kakarrot let get away – is now returning with Captain Ginyu!"

"He's right!" Krillin realised. "Goku, this is bad!"

Hairiyu agreed; she could sense the two ki heading straight for them. It was the purple guy from earlier!

"Wait... Where's Freeza?" Vegeta gasped. "He was at the spaceship where Ginyu took the Dragonballs!"

"There's a huge ki way over in that direction," Goku pointed. "That must be Freeza."

Hairiyu looked over in the direction Goku was pointing in.

"Oh no!" Gohan gasped. "That's near where the Great Elder is!"

"You're right!" Krillin cursed.

"W-Why would he be over there?" Hairiyu asked panicky; she didn't want the Great Elder to be hurt!

"I get it!" Krillin realised. "Freeza couldn't get his wish granted so now he's gone to the Great Elder to try and get him to tell him the words! What he doesn't know is that the Great Elder was the one who created the Dragonballs here!"

"No!" Gohan gasped. "I'll bet he'll kill the Great Elder once he tells him the password!"

"If he does that then the Dragonballs will vanish and no one will be able to get their wish granted!" Goku added grimly.

In that instant, Jeice and the purple man landed before them.

"So you thought you'd made fools of us, huh?" The red man Vegeta had referred to as Jeice seemed rather confident. "Well now you'll find out who the real fools are – fools!"

"... What do you think Goku?" Krillin asked. "Do you think you can win?"

"I won't know until I try," Goku replied, "This Captain Ginyu guy looks a lot tougher than the others..."

Hairiyu looked at the horned man and gulped. There was something scary about him. Maybe Goku was right; maybe he was a lot tougher than the others. Why else would he be the captain?

She could just about hear the other two men talking amongst themselves.

"He's just at five-thousand..." Ginyu muttered.

"I know!" Jeice exclaimed. "That's what's so crazy!"

"Idiot!" Ginyu snapped. "Do you always believe everything you see? He must be able to spontaneously increase and suppress his power!"

Hairiyu cocked her head in confusion. Those were some big words there! What was spontaneously? She wished she could ask someone but now didn't seem like the right time!

"I'll keep him busy," Goku decided. "Krillin, Gohan and Hairiyu – you all look for the Dragonballs with the radar. I bet they're still at the ship. If I beat this guy I'll come and join you."

"O-Ok," Krillin nodded, "We'd better hurry or the Great Elder will be killed!"

"He could already be dead..." Gohan gulped.

Hairiyu frowned, feeling her heart thumping inside of her. This was so tense; so much was riding on the Great Elder being alive! She didn't like any of this!

"Vegeta, you fight the other one..." Goku continued. "I know your power increased when you ate that senzu bean; you should be able to take care of him now."

"... So you knew..." Vegeta muttered.

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow. What was he talking about?

"Come on Hairiyu, we've gotta go!" Krillin tugged at her arm.

"Be careful daddy!" Gohan called as the trio took off into the sky.

"Fly as fast as you can!" Krillin barked, increasing his speed. It wasn't much of a struggle to keep up with him but Hairiyu couldn't shake the feeling something bad was about to happen to them.

-

It had been almost twenty minutes since they'd left Goku and Vegeta to deal with the two remaining Ginyu Force members. The power radiating from the battle behind them was immense, although there were other things playing on the young girl's mind.

"K-Krillin, what were Goku and my dad talking about back there?" she asked. "Goku said that my daddy grew stronger when he ate that bean..."

"Oh, that?" Krillin replied. "Well from what I've heard, a Saiyan grows stronger every time he fights! He grows a lot stronger if they have a near-death experience! He said it when he was fighting that Zarbon guy – you were there!"

"Oh..." Something still bothered her. "... What's a near-death experience?"

"It's when you nearly die but manage to recover!" Krillin responded. "I guess if you think about how badly beaten up Vegeta was when he left Earth. Well, he must have been hospitalised which made him all better. When he became all better, his ki would have grown a lot making him stronger!"

"Wow..." Hairiyu lulled over the thought. "Is it the same with me and Gohan?"

"From the feel of it, I'd probably say it is," Krillin nodded. "Changing the subject a little, we've gotta hurry and remember where we left Bulma!"

"It's a little further up ahead!" Gohan replied.

It didn't take them too much longer. The gorge in the middle of the rocks appeared before them and the trio landed in a rush.

"Bulma!" Krillin cried.

"There!" Hairiyu spotted her mother sleeping against the side of one of the walls. "Mama! Mama wake up! We need the Dragonball Radar!"

Bulma's eyes slowly fluttered open and she sleepily looked over.

The sleepy look snapped into an angry look so fast it made Hairiyu step back in fear! She'd seen that look from her mother more times than she cared to mention!

"What have you been doing?" Bulma bellowed. "First you came to get the Dragonball – with Vegeta in tow – and then you took off again! What's the big idea leaving a girl alone in a place like this?"

"B-Bulma we need to get the Radar," Krillin quivered, "We might still be able to get our wish granted if-"

"WHAT?" Bulma snapped. "You mean you still haven't gotten it granted? I saw all seven Dragonballs on the radar together! I thought it was you guys getting your wish granted! Just what the heck is going on? Why are you playing around for?"

Hairiyu dared to look away from her mother and realised Gohan was fiddling around over where her mother had set up her little camp. He suddenly snatched something off the table – it was the radar!

"Krillin, they're all over in that direction!" The boy pointed.

"Alright, let's go and get those Dragonballs!" Krillin leapt up into the air.

"W-Wait!" Bulma cried. "Someone tell me what's been going on!"

"S-Sorry mama, we're in a hurry!" Hairiyu apologised.

"By the way, my dad's here!" Gohan smiled.

"Goku's finally here?" Bulma grinned. "How does he look? Did he get more powerful?"

Hairiyu smiled and gave her mother the peace-sign, Gohan giving her the thumbs up.

"You guys, let's go!" Krillin yelled.

The trio took off once again, now following the directions of the Dragon Radar.

-

It wasn't a long flight.

"There it is!" Gohan cried.

"That must be the spaceship!" Krillin nodded.

The large, strange looking ship was unlike anything Hairiyu'd ever seen. It looked a lot different to the Namekian spaceship they'd used to get to Namek.

"Hey... the Dragon Radar says they're not inside the ship..." Gohan mumbled confused. "They're a little way away."

"Let's get down there and start looking for them," Krillin decided.

The trio landed on the grass and began to look around.

"No one's here at all..." Hairiyu mumbled. Surely there would have been some soldiers guarding the Dragonballs. Something about this whole area seemed a little off. It was very quiet. Maybe too quiet.

"So where are they Gohan?" Krillin asked.

"... This way..." Gohan mumbled taking a couple of steps forward, Hairiyu following him and taking a peep over his shoulder to see what the Dragon Radar said. She then looked up ahead at where she thought the Dragon Radar indicated too, noticing something funny.

"Hey, why's the ground look different here?" She pointed to a patch of dirt, small layers piled up on one another.

"There! That's where the Dragonballs must be!" Gohan cried. "The radar's pointing to that spot!"

"Right. It looks like someone buried them here," Krillin smiled. "Let's dig them up!"

Hairiyu dropped to her knees and assisted as the trio began to dig up the dirt, smiling in relief when a shiny orange sphere appeared.

"They're here! We did it you guys!" Krillin cheered, unearthing a Dragonball. It didn't take much longer for them to dig out the rest, placing them on the ground behind them.

It was almost too good to be true! Finally, finally they had all the Dragonballs!

"OK you two, looks like it's finally time to call on the Shenron of Namek!" Krillin smiled. "... We sure went through a lot to get these..."

"W-We'd better hurry up before the Great Elder is killed," Hairiyu prompted. She was eager to get this over and done with now before it was too late. She so desperately wanted to see Piccolo, Tenshinhan, Yamcha and Chaozu back alive!

"DRAGON! COME FORTH AND GRANT ME MY WISH!" Krillin chanted, tossing his hands up into the air.

Hairiyu took a deep breath, expecting to see something terrifying occur...

...

Nothing.

Nothing was happening.

The sky didn't change. There was no change at all...

Had something gone wrong?

"...I don't understand..." Krillin gulped. "I-It should have been here by now! Why didn't Shenron come bursting out?"

"Maybe you said it wrong?" Gohan suggested.

Hairiyu frowned disappointed and discouraged. "... Maybe the Great Elder..."

"N-No, if the Great Elder was dead, the Dragonballs would have turned to stone and would look nothing like this," Krillin shook his head. "There's something wrong... Something's not happening that should be happening! Maybe Gohan's right, maybe it's what I said! It's gotta be that!"

Gohan's head whirled around similarly to that of a rabbit listening out for predators, "K-Krillin, I'm sensing someone's coming!" He babbled, a trickle of fear in his voice.

Hairiyu caught onto the ki signals and gulped; one of them was the red guy's energy.

"Is that Ginyu and the other jerk?" Krillin cried. "Where's Goku's ki?"

"Y-You don't suppose he got killed, do you?" Gohan wailed anxiously.

"They're evil powers!" Krillin gasped. "What the heck happened – Goku was sure of himself!"

"They'll see we've got the Dragonballs!" Hairiyu realised panicking. "Krillin, what do we do?"

"We don't panic – we hide!" Krillin grabbed the two and dragged them behind a nearby rock. "Keep your ki suppressed and don't say a word." he ordered.

Hairiyu peered around the side of the rock as much as she could; she could see two dots on the horizon getting closer. One of them confused her a little...

Jeice and Goku landed not too far away from them.

Now everyone was baffled!

Goku was here!

"The Dragonballs have been dug up!" Jeice exclaimed.

"How did they know where they were...?" Goku asked.

Hairiyu noticed something rather odd; Goku had one of those things that measured power levels on his face... Why?

"Goku!" Krillin smiled, walking out from their hiding spot. "You gave us a bit of a scare for a moment! We thought you were Ginyu!"

"... Krillin..." Gohan mumbled quietly. "It's not..."

"What's wrong?" Hairiyu asked; she could see a worried look on Gohan's face.

"Something's wrong with dad," Gohan mumbled. "I think we'd better stay here..."

"So what's with the other guy?" Krillin asked; Gohan and Hairiyu watching from a safe distance. "He decide to join us after you clobbered his boss?"

"Were you the one who found the Dragonballs?" Goku asked. "How did you know where they were buried?"

"What do you mean Goku? We found them with the Dragon Radar of course, just like you said!" Krillin raised an eyebrow.

"Did you get your wish?" Goku asked.

"Heck no, something went wrong," Krillin shook his head. "Shenron didn't even come out! We're not sure why but maybe the invocation's different here."

"I see..." Goku smiled.

"... Goku, you seem a little off." Krillin mumbled. "You're wearing one of those scouter things too! Why?"

"You really want to know?" Goku asked smug.

Hairiyu almost jumped as Gohan jerked to the side, "KRILLIN – THAT'S NOT DAD!" He bellowed.

Goku suddenly struck Krillin backwards, startling Hairiyu! She turned to Gohan dumbfounded. "That's not your dad? It looks just like him!"

"It's not him!" Gohan replied. "I don't know how I know but I just know it's not!"


	30. Chapter 029

**Chapter 029 - The Body Switch**

Luckily for Krillin, the strike hadn't been enough to push him off his feet. Instead he stumbled backwards a couple of steps before regaining his balance, staring in disbelief and baffled by Goku's behaviour. A small line of blood fell from his lip.

"Darn it, there was another one waiting behind that rock..." Goku sneered menacingly. "There was no reading on the scouter either; he must be able to suppress his power all the way down to zero!"

"G-Goku, what are you doing?" Krillin demanded bewildered.

"Krillin, that's not my dad!" Gohan cried frantically.

The monk made a quick glance to Gohan before studying his old friend's face more closely. "He looks just like him..." he mumbled.

"I know he does but somehow I just know that's not him!" Gohan replied, gaze kept closely on his father watching for any sudden movements.

Hairiyu was still hidden behind the rock, unsure as to whether to come out from behind it now was a wise idea or not. Maybe she could surprise the Goku-imposter and that Jeice guy?

"You're right kid..." Goku suddenly began to perform some wacky poses identical to that of the other Ginyu Force members! (It took all of Hairiyu's strength and more to stop her from laughing out loud!) "We switched bodies – this one is much more powerful! I am Ginyu – Leader of the Ginyu Force!"

"S-Say what?" Krillin gasped.

_'Switched bodies...?'_ Hairiyu was lost. How was that even possible? First a fighter who could stop time, then a man who could dash around in the blink of an eye at amazing speed, then a monster who just wouldn't give into his pain... and now a body-switcher? It was too much for her brain to comprehend!

"Now, it's time to test this body," the Goku-lookalike smiled, "A body capable of a power over one-hundred-and-eighty-thousand!"

Hairiyu gawked in awe. That was by far the biggest number she'd ever heard! No wonder Gohan's dad was so strong!

"Stop it Goku – you're being manipulated or hypnotised!" Krillin begged.

Goku charged forwards and began to attack Krillin and Gohan, Hairiyu doing her best to stay hidden. If she could surprise attack him then maybe... maybe it would give them a little longer to live! There was no way she could face off against Goku – he was way, way, way too powerful for her!

Gohan and Krillin were dodging; they were dodging and blocking Goku's attacks, yet Goku wasn't letting up.

Hairiyu's brow fell as she watched, maybe now while his back was turned –

"Captain, he's found us!" Jeice's voice startled Hairiyu and she hid a little more. Looking up she spotted a purple dot – it was Ginyu! Or rather it was Ginyu's body!

The purple man was holding one side of his chest, blue blood dripping down his hand. Hairiyu gulped; it looked like a deep wound as Ginyu looked like he was struggling. The mere thought made her cringe a little and a small feeling of fear began to dwell inside of her.

He landed before them.

"So you made it?" Goku sniggered, a strange smirk on his face. "I should have wounded myself some more deeply!"

Ginyu looked up at the fighters. "Krillin, Gohan! That guy isn't me – that guy's Ginyu! He made us switch bodies! Fight back! Whale on him! You can't lose!"

Hairiyu gawked in shock; so that Goku-lookalike really had been Ginyu! Gohan had been right after all! She felt bad for Goku; how strange it must be to have been inside someone else's body and see your own body!

Goku cackled in amusement, catching the young girl's attention.

"They can't lose you say? That's absurd! This body has a power of one-hundred-and-eighty-thousand!"

"So you say..." Ginyu smiled, "You're forgetting that's my body! You won't be able to control my ki! I bet you couldn't even use half of my power!"

Hairiyu listened curiously. Was what Goku was saying true... or was that Ginyu now?

"You can bluff all you want," Goku jeered, "Just watch this!"

Goku began to power up, the ground beginning to tremble below Hairiyu's feet. She watched nervously, sensing his power rising higher and higher...

"Jeice – give me a reading on the scouter!" Goku demanded.

"Y-Yes sir!" Jeice pressed the device on his face, his smile disappearing. "... Uh..."

"Jeice – what does it say?" Goku yelled loudly down at his comrade.

"Um... twenty-three-thousand sir!" Jeice reported nervously.

Goku stopped powering up, the confident smirk vanishing quickly and replaced with a more solemn glance. "... Just twenty-three-thousand?" He repeated.

Krillin caught Goku off-guard with a double-fisted clout to the head, Goku almost falling out of the sky completely.

_'Krillin made that look easy!'_ Hairiyu watched from her hiding place. She wasn't sensing nearly as much power from Goku as she'd expected. Something did seem wrong with his ki...

"Jeice! Don't just stand there - fight!" Goku bellowed.

"Not so fast, you're going to be fighting me!"

Hairiyu gasped to see Vegeta had appeared and stood right behind Jeice! _'Since when was he...?'_

Had he been here all this time?

Krillin and Gohan charged in and began to attack Goku; Goku now finding he was the one dodging or blocking their attacks. Hairiyu eagerly watched from her vantage point – she spotted an opening as Krillin decked Goku into the hull of the ship. Her feet pushed off the grass.

Goku bounced off the ship and regained control of his flight. "Dammit!" He drew one arm back and tossed out an energy attack towards Gohan. Gohan blocked the move with his own arms, the ki ball exploding yet doing little harm to its target.

"You think that piddly attack would hurt me?" The child jeered.

Distracted and not thinking clearly proved to be his problem. Goku was suddenly decked forwards as Hairiyu elbowed him in the back. Goku rolled over baffled and glared back, spotting her. It certainly wasn't a look Hairiyu'd ever seen from Goku before.

Hairiyu smiled feeling a little more confident now despite the scary look the Goku-imposter was giving her! He hadn't even sensed her approaching and she'd actually been able to do more than she thought! "This isn't so tough after all!"

"Dammit, this body is supposed to be capable of a power of one-hundred-and-eighty-thousand!" Goku sneered frustrated.

"Jackass, it's just like Goku said..." Krillin was suddenly behind him. "You don't know how to use that body! Why don't you just give up?"

"G-Give up? You don't know Ginyu!"

Goku's body turned and fired a fist out at Krillin who effortlessly dodged yet again. Gohan and Hairiyu charged back into the fight aiding their friend. Hairiyu could see every weak-spot or unguarded spot Goku had; she couldn't believe how easy this seemed! Yet something strange began to happen. The more they fought, the tougher the fight seemed to become. Goku was beginning to move faster and get in some attacks, each growing more and more powerful. Hairiyu's confidence began to fall as she was struck in the face. Gaining control of her flight, she was about to charge back in when a flash of blue light caught her attention.

Jeice's energy had vanished. Vegeta had his hand held out at full length.

He'd just killed Jeice.

Hairiyu felt her body shudder as yet another person died.

"V-Vegeta! You didn't have to go that far!" Ginyu – or Goku in Ginyu's body – yelled up.

"That's it Kakarrot, just keep on being soft and leave that Super Saiyan status to me," Vegeta smiled.

Goku – or Ginyu – seemed shocked. "Vegeta killed Jeice? How is that possible?"

"Still haven't done away with Ginyu yet?" Vegeta jeered. "It's because he looks like Kakarrot, isn't it? Fine then, just leave it to me and get out of my way!"

Hairiyu watched as her father charged into the fight; Goku tossing Gohan aside as he put up his guard. Her father was all over Goku, punching him about and completely in control of the fight. As much as she wanted Ginyu to lose, she couldn't help but feel bad for Goku since it was his body being beaten up!

"Are you both ok?" Krillin asked loudly.

"Y-yeah," Hairiyu nodded, tending back to her bleeding nose. It stung but it didn't feel broken thankfully.

Goku collided with the ground hard, kicking up half a tonne of dust.

Hairiyu began to grow distressed; the look on his face was horrible. He looked as if he was in so much pain...

"V-Vegeta, don't kill him!" Goku-in-Ginyu's-body yelled up frantically.

"Watch me!" Vegeta bellowed, lunging to the ground at full pelt with both fists out in front of him.

Hairiyu didn't want to watch this, she didn't want to see another person die before her! It was too heart-breaking!

Then Goku shouted something.

"CHANGE!"

A strange bright light emerged from Goku's beaten body; Hairiyu had no idea what it was but it was heading right for her dad!

Then Ginyu's body was caught between them. The light struck him!

"NO!" Hairiyu screamed, scared that had been the final blow.

It hadn't.

Nothing seemed to have happened.

Ginyu's body landed on his feet. Goku's body was still on the ground. Vegeta looked more confused than anything.

"What was that light?" Gohan asked.

"I don't know..." Krillin mumbled. "I have no idea what just happened! Did Goku just go in to stop Vegeta's attack...?"

Hairiyu was resigned to being clueless; it was a frame of mind she was very used to by now!

"Hey, it's dad!" Gohan exclaimed. "You guys, my dad's back in his own body!"

"Really?" Krillin raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure Gohan?"

"Yeah, I'm positive!" Gohan nodded.

"Oh no," Hairiyu frowned to herself, "that means he's in pain now..."

"So that means that Ginyu's back in his own body too," Krillin muttered.

Hairiyu looked back down at Ginyu; now they were in trouble. Although he'd been wounded, he'd be able to access and control the ki of his own body. Maybe they weren't so lucky now especially since Goku'd been beaten up so much by Vegeta!

Ginyu held out his arms peculiarly...

The same light suddenly shot out towards Vegeta!

_'Move dad!'_ Hairiyu cried inside.

Something small suddenly shot between Vegeta and the light.

The group up in the air all watched in confusion. "It's that light again..." Krillin mumbled. "Why does he keep doing that?"

Ginyu suddenly fell onto all fours. A baffled Hairiyu watched in confusion as he began to hop along like a frog, hopping away from the group! What the heck was he doing? What had happened? What was that light?

Realising everyone else was heading towards the ground, she followed suite and joined the others around Goku. He looked awful.

"Goku, are you ok?" Krillin asked.

"Dad, hang on!" Gohan cried worried.

Hairiyu felt bad to see Gohan's father beaten up like this and felt a little empathetic towards Gohan. It wasn't easy for him to see his dad like this.

Gohan and Krillin attempted to lift Goku onto his feet, his arms thrown over their shoulders as they tried to support him.

"You really... beat up my body... huh Vegeta?" Goku smiled weakly.

"What happened to Ginyu?" Vegeta demanded.

"Yeah, he hopped away like a creepy frog!" Hairiyu mumbled more to herself than anyone else. She wasn't about to admit she hated frogs to the others!

"Well, the one that ran away is a frog..." (Goku's words sent shivers all over Hairiyu's body) "... and that frog-like thing over there... is Ginyu!"

"What?" Krillin gawked.

"... How?" Gohan asked.

Hairiyu glared over at the frog-like thing close by. Goku was right – it did look like a frog! She didn't want it to hop closer to them! Yet how was it he'd become the frog thing in the first place? "... I don't get it..." she mumbled.

Vegeta seemed more interested in the frog. "... I don't understand this but I'm not leaving it alive!"

_'Please get it away from me!'_ Hairiyu begged, watching as her father walked towards the creepy amphibian. The frog hopped along seemingly desperate to escape.

"Drop it Vegeta," Goku mumbled, "He can't do anything the way he is now..."

Vegeta stopped in his tracks. "... I'll let you live; the life you have ahead of you now is torture enough!"

_'Aww, can't you squash it or blast it to smithereens?'_ Hairiyu was disappointed. She felt cold and gross just looking at it and knowing it was there!

A groan from Goku made her turn back around; he looked like he was in pain.

"Hey Goku, don't you have any more senzu beans left?" Krillin asked.

"No..." Goku shook his head.

Hairiyu semi-consciously remembered what those strange beans from earlier tasted like and spat her tongue out in disgust.

"It would be easy to crush you all right now."

Hairiyu turned horrified and glared at her father. "How can you say such a thing?" She cried.

"You wouldn't!" Gohan snarled.

"I... I can't believe you'd stoop so low!" Krillin muttered.

"It's ok... he won't do anything," Goku mumbled. "He can't kill us now... He knows he's gonna need our help if he plans to fight Freeza..."

Hairiyu pouted. So he was gonna stay friends until Freeza was beaten and then kill them? She didn't like that! Why was her father such a jerk? He was selfish! That's what her mother would have called him!

"You know me too well Kakarrot," Vegeta folded his arms. "There's the matter of the Dragonballs... and I may need your help against Freeza..." He turned away slightly. "We'll need to heal Kakarrot's wounds and get him up to full power. Follow me."

He turned his back to them and began to walk towards the ship, levitating up into the air and over the top of it.

"... It's ok..." Goku mumbled, flinching from another shot of pain from the looks of it.

"Maybe we can trust him," Hairiyu suggested. "He did save us earlier from those other guys and he fought on our side."

"I know you'd like your dad to be a decent guy Hairiyu but we have to be careful," Krillin warned, "he's not gonna stay this way forever!"

"We have to try though Krillin, my dad needs help." Gohan pleaded. "If he says he's gonna get him healed up again then maybe it's ok...?"

Krillin sighed, "... Alright, have it your way. We've got no other choice anyway!"

The trio levitated to the top of the ship.

Vegeta'd been waiting for them. "Hurry up, there's not much time!" He jumped down into the large hole in the middle of the ship.

Hairiyu looked down and gulped; it looked dark and scary! Reluctantly she followed her father down, Gohan and Krillin assisting Goku.

They landed in what looked like a corridor; doors running either side of them... That wasn't what stunned and scared Hairiyu.

There were corpses everywhere.

As they were led down the corridor, the smell began to get to her. Hairiyu didn't want to breathe, all she could smell was burnt, rotten flesh. It made her want to vomit, her stomach uncomfortably knotting so tightly inside of her. The sight almost brought tears to her eyes; this was such a dangerous place! She didn't like it here...

Vegeta stopped and turned back around startling Hairiyu and the two boys.

"In here," Vegeta ordered.

"You first," Krillin ordered back.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and pressed a button on the wall; the doorway opened up from the centre and the group stepped into the room.

Hairiyu curiously walked around. There were a couple of strange, big-looking machines in the centre of the room. Dotted around them were some tables and other fancy equipment. It certainly looked like something Hairiyu would classify as a medical room; medicines of all forms seemed to be scattered around the place. She wondered if there would be anything in this alien spaceship that perhaps they'd use on Earth...

"This place smells like the doctors..." she mumbled, turning back to the others.

"Put him inside this chamber and make it snappy," Vegeta barked.

"What is this gonna do to him?" Krillin asked suspiciously.

"Just get him in otherwise he won't be healed!" Vegeta snapped.


	31. Chapter 030

**Chapter 030 - Summon the Dragon**

Hairiyu watched nervously as Goku was wired up, some strange mask placed on his mouth and nose. Vegeta closed the chamber up and pressed another button. The sound of water gushing in made her feel even more nervous! Was Goku about to drown or was that what the mask was for?

"The medical machines in here are the older models, they won't work as quickly but they'll have to do." Vegeta muttered.

"Older models?" Krillin repeated. "What happened to the new ones?"

"I broke them," Vegeta answered bluntly.

"He won't drown in there, will he?" Krillin asked.

"I was thinking the same thing..." Hairiyu mumbled, watching as the water level passed the glass panel. She looked at Goku for the briefest of moments before turning her attention to her father; he was walking back towards the door.

"Now then, you three are gonna need some battle clothes," the Saiyan muttered, "They'll provide some form of protection unlike those pitiful things!"

"Battle clothes?" Krillin repeated. "You mean like the ones you're wearing?"

"That's gonna feel weird," Gohan mused.

Vegeta walked out of the room and led the trio down the corridor a little. Hairiyu was relieved to see there weren't any corpses around this area!

"Wow, would you look at all the technology down here!" Krillin seemed impressed. "This is far more advanced than anything I've seen on Earth!"

"Yeah, it looks nothing like the things mama and grandpa make at home," Hairiyu nodded.

"You watch them make things, Hairiyu?" Krillin asked with a smile.

"Not much; I haven't been home a lot!" Hairiyu grinned. "I saw them changing that spaceship we used to get here! Mama even let me help out a little! I got to carry her to the other places she couldn't reach like on the top!"

The sound of something slapping the floor caught the group's attention; clothes were being thrown towards them.

"Hurry up and put these on," Vegeta ordered. "Make it quick – Freeza could be back any minute."

Hairiyu took what she assumed were her clothes and wandered a little way away from Gohan and Krillin. She didn't want to get changed around three boys! Once she'd put her undersuit on she became stuck. How was she meant to put on the armour? She nervously turned back around, feeling a little afraid she'd catch sight of someone indecent!

"How do we put these on?" Krillin didn't seem to be able to figure it out either!

"Slide them over your heads," Vegeta barked. "They'll stretch enough if you force them on. They didn't rip when I transformed on Earth. They'll expand to almost any size and withstand most impacts."

Hairiyu remembered seeing the big monkey still had clothes. It had been a thankful sight when he'd transformed back to his normal human-height-self after that fat samurai man had cut his tail cut off!

"Hey, it stretches like elastic!" Gohan smiled, pulling his arms away and stretching the armour.

Hairiyu managed to do the same and smiled proudly. She wasted no more time and pulled it over her head. It felt surprisingly light!

"Are the shirts and gloves made out of the same material?" Krillin asked.

"I guess," Vegeta muttered.

"It's so light!" Krillin exclaimed. "I'd rather have one like yours though; it looks like yours makes it easier to move the shoulders."

"This is an older model; I couldn't find a standard one in my size," Vegeta replied.

"It's alright Krillin, I can still move my arms easily! It doesn't get in the way at all!" Gohan smiled, raising and lowering his arm.

Hairiyu looked down at her new clothes. She felt happy to have them considering who they'd come from. She felt as if these were the first presents from her dad... as warped an idea as it may have been realistically! It made her happy so she stuck to it! "They're really easy to move in! Now I look like a Saiyan fighter - except I'm a good girl Saiyan fighter!" She beamed.

"So how long until Goku's better?" Krillin asked, not sharing the child's excitement.

"In his condition it shouldn't take more than fifty minutes," Vegeta answered.

"Right, there's no time to waste then," Krillin muttered. "Gohan, Hairiyu; I'm going to the Great Elder's. Freeza might be there but we can't do anything without the password! We've gotta get it so we can call Shenron!"

"You're leaving?" Hairiyu frowned anxiously.

"We'll come with you!" Gohan suggested.

"No, stay here and guard Goku and the Dragonballs," Krillin ordered, "It would be better for me to go alone anyway. Wait here."

"... Alright, we'll stay." Gohan sighed. "Be careful Krillin."

With that, Krillin left the ship and took off towards the Great Elders.

"I hope he gets to the Great Elder's safely," Hairiyu mumbled.

"Yeah." Gohan agreed. "... Hey, we should probably keep guard of the Dragonballs like Krillin said!"

It felt like an eternity had passed. Both children sat outside the ship with the Dragonballs, bored out of their minds... or at least Hairiyu was! Having the time to wait around seemed like a good time to rest up; she had no idea how long she'd been awake for... What made her feel strange was ever since she'd eaten that senzu bean thing, she'd felt rejuvenated and energetic. She didn't feel tired at all!

"... Hey Gohan?" she mumbled, "Do you think my mama's alright? Shouldn't one of us go find her and let her know what's going on?"

"I dunno; won't she just yell at us for not having our wish granted yet?" Gohan asked.

"Yeah, she would be mad at us..." Hairiyu now felt discouraged! She didn't want to go back to have her mother yell at her!

Gohan rose to his feet and smiled, "Hey, you know what?"

"What?" Hairiyu asked.

"I feel like a super hero wearing these!" Gohan grinned, punching the air a couple of times and kicking out. "Yeah! I could be the strongest super hero out there with clothes like these!"

"Maybe you could," Hairiyu nodded. "Too bad most of the people who wear these are bad guys!"

"That's true; I wouldn't wanna get confused with one of those guys!" Gohan giggled. "Hey, maybe we could be super heroes together? We could fight bad guys and beat them all! No one would be able to beat us because good always overcomes evil!"

"That sounds like fun!" Hairiyu smiled. "We should do that!"

"What are you two idiots doing?"

Both Gohan and Hairiyu turned startled; Vegeta was right behind them.

"So, is your bald-headed friend back with the password yet? What's taking him so long?" Vegeta demanded.

"He'll be here!" Gohan growled.

"It'll take him a couple of hours for him to fly there and back you know!" Hairiyu pouted. "You should be more patient! My mama would tell me off if I was as impatient as you!"

Vegeta snorted and narrowed his eyes; Hairiyu became nervous. Had she said too much?

"Keep an eye on the Dragonballs; I'm going to take a nap inside the ship."

Gohan blinked in surprise, "You're taking a nap?"

"Sure," Vegeta began to walk away, "With you two in your new suits, I feel safe!" He burst out laughing as he hovered back up into the ship.

Gohan pouted, "... Is he making fun of us?"

"I think so," Hairiyu muttered. "Why'd my dad have to be such a mean person? Why can't he be nice like your dad, Gohan?"

-

It had been a while since Krillin had left. Vegeta was still asleep somewhere inside the spaceship, Goku was still recovering. Outside, Hairiyu and Gohan were guarding the Dragonballs.

"Funny how this planet ended up having three suns..." Gohan mumbled, "I wonder what its orbit is like! That would be strange!"

"It's what?" Hairiyu raised an eyebrow.

"Its orbit; the pathway it takes going around the sun," Gohan explained. "It's where we get our years from; one year is the time it takes for the Earth to complete an orbit around the sun."

"You're really smart," Hairiyu sighed cupping her chin in her hands. "Your mama really makes you study hard!"

The conversation stopped abruptly as a couple of tiny energies were spotted.

"... Who is that?" Gohan asked. "Someone's coming for us."

"Maybe we should check it out?" Hairiyu suggested. "Maybe it's Krillin?"

"Maybe, but who does the other ki belong to?" Gohan levitated up into the air, Hairiyu close behind.

Hairiyu shrugged her shoulders, blinking in surprise when she suddenly lost contact with the two ki! "Hey... it must be Krillin; they suppressed their power!"

"... The other one... that looks like Dende!" Gohan smiled. "Hey! Over here!"

The two approached the inbound duo; Krillin and Dende looking perfect in every way.

"That was really fast!" Gohan beamed. "How did you do that?"

"Dende was already on his way here," Krillin replied.

"He was?" Hairiyu asked. "Oh! Does that mean you came to tell us the password, Dende?"

Dende smiled and nodded.

"Where's Vegeta?" Krillin asked.

"He's inside the spaceship sleeping," Hairiyu answered. "Dad said he hadn't slept much."

"Good, that's a good stroke of luck!" Krillin smiled. "We suppressed our ki so he wouldn't sense us. This is perfect! We've gotta get all seven Dragonballs out here without Vegeta noticing! He can't know what's happening until after Shenron comes out!"

"How are we gonna do that?" Gohan asked.

"By suppressing our powers and being as quiet as possible," Krillin answered.

Hairiyu looked back at the ship nervously. She had several scenarios of this plan going wrong and Vegeta finding them out! Obediently she followed Krillin and the others, landing back outside the ship in front of the Dragonballs. Her heart was racing madly; she hoped he wouldn't wake up and that none of her thoughts would come to life! Cautiously she picked up two of the Dragonballs and held them under her arms. On Krillin's signal the group slowly backed away from the ship and took the Dragonballs to a relatively near island.

"We did it!" Krillin cheered.

Hairiyu exhaled deeply and sat down, trying to calm herself. "That was too scary!"

As if on cue, the strongest power Hairiyu'd ever sensed made itself present in her mind. Her heart suddenly shot up into the throat, almost choking her of air.

"K-Krillin! Something's coming really fast!" Gohan cried.

"... It's Freeza!" Krillin gasped. "D-Dende, we need to hurry and call Shenron!"

"This is bad! This is bad! This is bad!" Hairiyu trembled. "Do you think we can make all our wishes in time, Krillin?"

"We'll have to wait and see!" Krillin replied. "Dende, what's the password?"

"It's in Namekian so you wouldn't understand it even if I told it to you," Dende answered. "Here, stand back."

"Namekian, huh?" Gohan repeated. "Figures."

"They have their own language?" Hairiyu asked in awe. "I didn't know Piccolo could speak two different languages!"

Dende held out his hands and spoke something the others could only assume was Namekian...

Hairiyu watched in awe as the Dragonballs began to glow; almost simultaneously the sky turned to black. It looked like everything was happening just like her mama had always said it would.

She nearly screamed and shielded her eyes as a bright flash burst upwards from the centre of the Dragonballs, not sure what was going on or whether this was supposed to also happen!

"Whoa..."

Gohan's voice made Hairiyu open her eyes out of curiosity. What had he seen?

Looking up made her eyes widen and jaw drop. She wasn't sure if she felt more in awe or terrified over what towered over the group!

This Dragon was gigantic!

"He's way bigger than the one we have on Earth!" Krillin squawked. "He looks different too!"

"It's my first time seeing him..." Dende mumbled. "His name is Porunga; in Namek it means the god of dreams."

"You who have summoned me – state your three wishes!" Porunga roared in a terrifyingly loud voice. Hairiyu felt the vibrations of his vocals shake her entire body and spread to the ground below her feet.

"Wow, he's really loud!" Hairiyu flinched and held her hands over her ears. _'Loud and scary!'_

"I still can't believe we get three wishes!" Krillin grinned. "This guy's much more generous than the one we have on Earth!"

"Hurry, we'd better get this done before Vegeta or Freeza shows up!" Dende cried.

"Right..." Krillin gulped. "First, bring the people who were killed by the Saiyans on Earth back to life!"

Dende once again spoke in a language Hairiyu did not recognise. She eagerly watched Porunga. Finally they were going to bring back Piccolo and the others! It had all turned out well in the end; it hadn't been a wasted trip!

"That I cannot do!" Porunga answered.

Hairiyu's face, hopes and dreams dropped.

"It is beyond my power to bring more than one being back to life at a time."

"What?" Krillin gasped.

"Oh no!" Gohan gulped. "That's bad!"

"We can only bring one back at a time and we've got three wishes so someone's gonna be left behind!" Hairiyu wailed. "This isn't fair! Why won't he grant our wish?"

"We need to hurry guys!" Dende cried.

_"Gohan! Can you hear me?"_

Hairiyu's eyes widened, her breath hitched in her throat. That sounded exactly like Piccolo!

"P-Piccolo? Is that you?" Gohan asked looking around.

"Where is he?" Krillin was baffled.

_"I'm talking directly into your minds through Kaio's telepathy! I know you don't have a lot of time so I'll be blunt! Wish me back with your first wish! When I come back to life so will Kami! The Dragonballs on Earth will be restored! Then you could use those to wish the others back!"_

"Y-Yeah, that might work!" Krillin grinned.

"If you say so..." Gohan wasn't really sure. Hairiyu chose to stay quiet; she was too caught up being happy to hear Piccolo's voice again!

_"Onto the second wish! I want you to wish me to Planet Namek!"_ Piccolo added. _"Those are my people Freeza has slaughtered! I've grown far stronger in the underworld so wish me back! I will defeat him!"_

Hairiyu smiled. She was relieved to hear Piccolo felt confident and happy to know he would be joining them!

_"Do what you want with the third wish! I'm counting on you guys!"_

"Right, you heard him!" Krillin turned to Dende. "Dende, for our first wish we'd like the Namekian on Earth called Piccolo to be brought back to life!"

"Right, bring Piccolo back." Dende nodded. He turned and spoke the wish out in Namekian.

"Please work this time... please?" Hairiyu mumbled to herself.

Porunga's eyes shimmered red. "... Your first wish is granted. State your second!"

"Alright!" Gohan cheered turning to Hairiyu and grabbing her hands. "We brought Piccolo back to life!" The two began to jump around happily.

"The second wish? Guys, what's the second wish?" Dende demanded.

"Bring the Namekian on Earth to planet Namek," Krillin answered; Gohan and Hairiyu standing still again.

Dende turned and was about to speak when something made him turn back around.

Hairiyu gasped and turned; there was a bright light heading towards them with a ki she recognised. "K-Krillin – dad's coming!"

"Aww crap, he's awake and I'll bet he'll be mad!" Krillin shuddered. "Dende, hurry!"

Dende turned and began to speak Namekian albeit it sounded more rushed and frantic than before.

Her eyes fixated on the large dragon, brain keeping an eye on her father's ki. He'd be here any moment! _'Please hurry Mr Porunga! Please!'_ She begged...

"Your second wish has been granted."

"...What? Where is he?" Gohan asked frantically.

Hairiyu looked around frenetically; she couldn't see Piccolo anywhere!

"Dende, are you sure he brought Piccolo here?" Krillin spluttered nervously.

Dende gasped, "Oh! I only brought him to this planet like you said! You mean you wanted him here with us?"

Hairiyu couldn't believe this was happening! Her mentor could be anywhere on this planet – he could be all the way on the other side! "There has to be a way we can bring him here – what about using our last w-"

A pair of boots slapping the ground stopped her dead in her tracks. She did just as the others did; she turned and felt all hope leave her body as soon as her eyes fell on him.

Her father did not look happy.

"I should have known..." Vegeta spat, malicious intentions written across his facial expression, "... this will be the end of your short lives!"

The enraged Saiyan took a couple of steps forward. "You idiots! Don't you realise you've just ruined our only chance to beat Freeza? The only way to defeat him was to make me immortal!"

Hairiyu quivered as she took a couple of steps back. The look on his face terrified her.

"You... dead... fools!" Vegeta bellowed.

"W-W-Wait! We've still got one wish left!" Gohan spluttered desperately.

"You idiot, don't tell him!" Krillin cried.

Hairiyu gulped; she was glad she hadn't been the one to break but at the same time wish it hadn't happened at all! Now they were in even more trouble!

Thankfully Vegeta had started to smile; he seemed calmer now. "... I'm glad to hear it! Now hurry up and make me immortal! Freeza's almost here!"

Krillin clenched his fists in frustration, "If we let him get his wish, he'll... he'll eventually turn on us!"

"What else can we do?" Gohan grumbled. "Dad's still hurt and there's no one else who can help!"

Vegeta dashed forwards and snatched Dende off his feet, startling the others.

"Hey! Let him go!" Hairiyu bellowed – the nasty look on Vegeta's face quickly shut her up. Dende was crying out seemingly in pain – she didn't want to stand by and let her father treat him that way but what could she do?

"What are you dawdling around for – just say it!" Vegeta bellowed. "Make me immortal!"

"Freeza's almost here!" Gohan spun around. "W-What do we do?"

"Maybe we should...?" Hairiyu gulped.

"Damn it! Vegeta killed my friends and he could turn on us and kill us!" Krillin snarled frustrated. "... But he's a hell of a lot better than Freeza, right?"

"I guess..." Hairiyu wasn't really sure how to answer that; from what she'd seen both her father and this Freeza guy were cruel murderers... but at least her dad had inadvertently saved her and the others, plus he was being nicer to them.

"Dende, do it!" Krillin ordered.

"... If I have to..." Dende frowned.

To Hairiyu's relief Vegeta let Dende go, albeit he tossed him down to the ground! Thankfully Dende got back up, dusting himself off before turning to face the Dragon. This was it. Her dad was getting his wish granted after all. Hairiyu felt awful watching such a terrible person get a wish from the Dragonballs but they had no choice – whether they liked it or not they needed him! Vegeta was by far the best chance they had at the moment of fighting Freeza!

As Dende began to talk, the dragon began to flash! Hairiyu had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her mother had never said anything about the dragon flashing and fading every-so-often...

"What's happening?" Krillin spluttered baffled.

Hairiyu looked at the bald fighter; his reaction reinforced the idea that this wasn't right. The only question was what was making the dragon do that?

Dende screamed as Porunga's eyes went dark, fading in a fantastic flash of light. The Dragonballs were tossed up high into the sky.

The sky turned back to normal.

Several large bangs went off, each as loud as cannon fire as the large spheres crashed to the ground. Hairiyu didn't recognise them anymore; they were like huge round boulders! She stood speechless, mirroring the others' reactions.

"...What's going on here?" Vegeta demanded. "Where is the dragon? Where is the night? Wh-Why did the Dragonballs turn to stone?"

Hairiyu didn't have a clue what was happening either and she looked around at the others, hoping one of them would be able to provide an answer.

Dende's gentle sobbing caught her ear and she looked over to him; he'd fallen to his knees.

"Am I immortal or not?" Vegeta bellowed flustered.

"... You're not immortal..." Dende hiccupped. "The Great Elder's gone..."

The news was hell to her ears; Hairiyu couldn't believe it but at the same time it made sense. After all, the person who'd created the Dragonballs on Earth had died, meaning the Dragonballs there were useless. It seemed strange for the ones here to just suddenly do what they did for any other reason. Her heart sank as she walked over to Dende, putting a hand on his shoulder. Her own tears were rolling down; any news of a death was heartbreaking to her – especially since she knew the Great Elder was a wonderful person. He'd helped her unlock her hidden potential...

"So you mean to tell me because some old guy kicked the bucket, I don't get my wish granted?" Vegeta was fuming!

"Of course..." Dende nodded.

The Saiyan's eyes drifted to the others behind him. "You did this! You cheated me out of everything! You stupid fo..." Vegeta's voice trailed to a stop.

Hairiyu turned around about to speak.

Her eyes widened in horror, heart jump-staring as an ice-cold wash of fear overcame her.

Gohan and Krillin also turned around to see him.

It was Freeza.


	32. Chapter 031

**Chapter 031 - Resisting the Call of Death**

The small group trembled in fear as they finally realised the situation they'd been put in. The Great Elder had passed away and thus the Dragonballs were useless. One wish had gone ungranted. Vegeta was not immortal - nor were any of the others immortal. And now Freeza had finally appeared.

Everyone knew the danger they were now in, especially since the tyrant now had no chance of getting his wish granted. It wasn't the worst senario so-to-speak but with Piccolo lost somewhere on the planet and Goku healing, it was more-or-less up to Vegeta to stand a chance against Freeza. None of the Earthlings liked their chances.

"Well well, what do we have here? A group of rugrats and a burnt out Saiyan..." Freeza muttered nonchalantly.

The cold, evil stare in Freeza's eyes didn't fool Hairiyu despite his cool exterior. He was literally packed full of bloodlust. She didn't want to be here; just looking at him sent waves of anxiety through her body and made her freeze; she felt as if she'd been encased inside ice. Every fibre of her brain screamed for her to run yet her body wouldn't respond.

"I see no trace left of the Ginyu Force." Freeza continued, "Did you destroy them? Aren't you all industrious little tykes? Now the Dragonballs are worthless... my one chance to gain immortality is gone..."

The exterior melted away, Hairiyu began to quietly whimper. She couldn't bear it, she couldn't bear the pressure she felt! He was going to kill her!

Freeza jumped off the raised rock and landed level with them. "Never has anyone made such a fool of me."

Hairiyu felt Dende's arm grab onto her glove. She gently pushed him back behind her, terrified of what was to come.

Freeza's smile had faded to an icy grimace. Venom was in his eyes as he bared his teeth. "I never thought I would face such a day..." The indifference was finally gone, fury embedded across his face as his voice rose. "You despicable maggots! I'll torture you to death inch by bloody inch!" He screamed.

Krillin's cue reached both Hairiyu and Gohan; all three warriors dashed backwards leaving the fight open to Freeza and her father. Hairiyu had grabbed hold of Dende, "Go and hide!" She ordered.

"R-Right," Dende nodded, running towards what were the Dragonballs.

"Looks like we've got no choice!" Vegeta snarled. "Don't get to confident Freeza – If you think I can be beaten so easily then think again!"

Freeza chuckled back, "Of all the things to say..."

Hairiyu began to grow concerned over her father's wellbeing. It looked like Freeza was taking a particular interest in him! Then again her father and Freeza had history; it shouldn't have been so surprising to her. Was her father really strong enough to hold his own?

"It seems you've forgotten who I am! Let me remind you!"

The words sent shockwaves of ice through her body. She hated this. Hairiyu couldn't believe she was so unlucky to be stuck here against this terrifying fighter. Piccolo was nowhere to be seen, the Great Elder had died and worst of all Freeza had found them!

Freeza's ki began to rise. The rate increased rapidly, quickly rising above what Hairiyu'd ever thought was possible – even then it still kept rising! The ground trembled below her feet, her hair floating above her as the pressure around them changed. Each second felt like a month; she knew it was over already. There was no one who even came close to touching his power! It continued to rise higher and higher; Hairiyu trembling in horror and despair; this wasn't fair! She was going to die, she knew she was going to die. There was no plan. There was no way she could escape. She would die right here, right now...

"H-His power's too high... There's no way we can beat him!" Krillin stammered.

"Sure you can..." Freeza smiled, "... Just like ants can beat a dinosaur!"

_'I don't wanna be here! I want my mama! I can't stay here!'_ Hairiyu was frozen with fear. Freeza couldn't have put it any better; she felt like an ant having to face a dinosaur! That was just how big the difference in their powers felt. She was puny, weak, insignificant, a speck of dust in the atmosphere. There was nothing any of them could do to even try to hurt this behemoth!

"We can beat him! With all four of us – I know we can!"

The sheer bafflement of that sentence summoned her from her petrified state and she looked at her father. He wasn't trembling, he seemed to be his usual confident self! How could he say that?

Freeza chuckled, "You've become quite the dreamer, Vegeta!"

"None of you seem to have realised just how much the Earthling's powers keep growing!" Vegeta retaliated confidently. "Mop-top has powers in him he can't even dream of! I've slowly become what you've always feared..."

_'Wow, Gohan has powers like that?'_ Hairiyu looked over to her friend.

"... A Super Saiyan."

_'What he's always feared?'_ Hairiyu blinked perking up. She went back to the point her dad had made about Gohan. She knew there was something special about his powers but she'd never really seen much of them – apart from when Gohan had attacked Nappa! She was sure something funny had happened when the two of them had been trapped in Raditz's spaceship...

"Now you die!" Freeza's yell started Hairiyu and she almost screamed; the tyrant was fist-to-fist with her father. Both fighters held the other's fist now stuck in a power struggle. The energy coming from the two made the ground tremble and tossed loose dirt and dust into the air. The strange device on Freeza's face began to blip, suddenly exploding.

In a flash it was finished. She had little idea of what had just happened. Her father looked as if he was catching his breath whilst Freeza... he didn't look the same way and seemed to have taken minimal effect from the mini struggle. That didn't look good.

"I see, so you weren't entirely bluffing," He muttered.

Did that mean not even Freeza had expected her father to be this strong? A small glimmer of hope began to rise in the young girl. He seemed a little surprised about her dad; did that mean they did stand a chance – just like her father insisted they did?

"Transform Freeza!" Vegeta barked. "You might as well show us your true form!"

"What?" Gohan gasped. "Transform?"

"... I'm surprised you knew about that," Freeza grumbled.

"Zarbon blurted it out before he died!" Vegeta replied. "The form you see before you is a ruse. Some beings have the power to alter their form in order to conserve energy!"

Hairiyu's glimmer of hope died out. Why was her dad egging Freeza on like that? He was doing fine at the moment – why was he encouraging him to transform?

Freeza's smile made the young girl shudder. "In my case it's because I become so powerful I can't control myself!"

That wasn't something she wanted or needed to hear!

"It's a bluff; he won't be that different!" Vegeta sneered.

"... Look closely, this is not something you get to see often," Freeza smirked, "When I attacked the Saiyan planet and fought the king, I won without the need to transform... Your father didn't take long to despatch of, Vegeta!"

Hairiyu gasped; had she heard that right?

"Don't get all high and mighty over that!" Vegeta snorted. "I'd surpassed him when I was a kid!"

"S-So the Saiyan planet was destroyed by him?" Krillin muttered.

She couldn't believe it! In those last few sentences Hairiyu'd found out so much about her heritage... or at least the Saiyan half of it! First of all, this tyrant before them was the reason the Saiyans had all lost their planet and why only a few were still around. Second, her grandpa had been the king of the Saiyans, which would make her dad the prince, which would make her...

Freeza's bellow and the sudden disappearance of his battle jacket made Hairiyu jump! Fragments of sharp material rained on the ground.

"... That's the transformation?" Vegeta chuckled. "The great Freeza just took off his battle jacket!"

Hairiyu could feel it shifting. She watched as Freeza's ki began to rise once again, terrified and baffled he was still able to increase his power! They were back to square one now – Freeza's ki was rising and rising higher and higher! His body began to change shape, rapidly growing in size. It was as if all her fears were coming to life all at the same time; it was terrifying! Her knees shook violently, the emotions ravaging inside of her. She couldn't control it. She couldn't contain her terror!

He towered over them; transformation complete.

Aside from the obvious size difference, not a lot had changed apart from his horns now bending up at a point.

There was a massive, horrifying difference in his power level.

"He's gonna kill us..." Gohan shuddered.

"It's like a bad dream!" Krillin exclaimed.

Freeza smiled, "I won't be as gentle as before!"

_'We're gonna die,'_ Hairiyu tried desperately not to choke on the lump in her throat.

"I have so much power now I might not be able to control it!" Freeza jeered. "If any instrument could measure my power, it would surpass one million!"

Hairiyu's jaw dropped. That was the biggest number she'd heard of ever!

Confusion struck as she found herself being tossed up into the sky! Her ears rang, she couldn't see anything but blinding light! Desperately she tried to control her movement, struggling to stop herself in the air.

She'd felt Freeza's ki fluctuate but hadn't had the time to react. Now she found herself looking down at what used to be a large island. All she saw was water and large fragments of rock splashing into it. Dust drifted below her, rising slowly through the wind.

Where was everyone? Hairiyu frantically looked around, quickly spotting Gohan a little to her left. Krillin and Dende were just above him. Vegeta was beyond them and a little higher up...

Where was Freeza?

"You're all pretty good on your feet, as I expected!"

Hairiyu groaned and looked down; Freeza was alive.

"... Of course that was nothing – even a Saiyan could do that! Now let's see... Who should I kill first?" The monster muttered, eyes slowly rolling from one side to the other.

Terror struck her once again. This was a nightmare! She was only a kid; she shouldn't be here! She shouldn't be in this kind of danger! Hairiyu knew he'd come for her; she knew she'd be the first unlucky person to die!

"I CHOOSE YOU!"

Nothing happened. She felt no pain, nothing to suggest she'd been hit...

"KRILLIN!"

Gohan's scream pierced her ears. It couldn't be! Hairiyu glanced over to her left, eyes widening and mouth gaping open. She tried to scream, nothing came out.

Freeza had gone for Krillin. One of his horns had pierced his torso. She could see blood dripping down Freeza's head, dripping down from where he'd punctured Krillin. The monster was smiling and talking too quietly for her to hear.

"Kr..." She mumbled unable to finish.

For what felt like an eternity, Freeza began to shift his head, the horn violently sliding through Krilllin's puncture wound, blood spurting out with every movement. It was disgusting to watch and terrifying but Hairiyu could not turn away. She couldn't take her eyes off it no matter how much she wanted to. She couldn't believe this was happening to Krillin of all people.

Then Freeza tossed him to the side; Krillin violently sliding off the blood stained horn.  
He crashed through the surface of the waters below...

"Kri.." She stuttered. "Kri... lin..."

She hadn't seen that. As much as she wanted to tell herself that, it didn't stop the truth from being true. She'd just seen her friend be tossed like an insignificant fly to his death. He'd looked out for her and Gohan. He'd saved them both. He'd been a responsible role-model but also had become a good friend; Hairiyu had looked up to him. He was like an uncle. An uncle now gone.

"KRILLIN!"

Gohan had dashed down towards the sea. Hairiyu almost followed yet seeing Freeza suddenly in front of Gohan made her stop in her tracks. She had to keep her head; there was no way she'd be able to get past him, his speed was terrifying!

"MOVE!"

Gohan was suddenly all over Freeza, striking the monster clean in the face before repeatedly pounding his fists into his stomach! Hairiyu's jaw dropped as she watched Gohan go all out; one kick sent Freeza flying backwards. Gohan's ki rapidly increased as he threw out an energy ball, striking Freeza down to the ground with a heavy crash.

A terrifyingly large melee of ki attacks rained down on the tyrant blocking him from view. Despite the strong gusts of wind, Hairiyu floated above the young boy as he threw down attack after attack after attack. The wind grew stronger and stronger, the noise from the explosions growing louder and louder.

Then the onslaught stopped.

Hairiyu was speechless. Where had that power come from? She was aware he had hidden powers but she hadn't imagined they'd be that huge! His ki had just exploded to something terrifyingly powerful!

...Krillin!

Hairiyu's eyes darted back down to the water. Something small had just broken the surface. It was Dende! He'd managed to grab Krillin!

"It's ok; he's still breathing!" Dende called up.

"There's no time to worry about that!" Vegeta bellowed. "Did you really think that was enough to beat Freeza?"

Hairiyu glanced down to where Freeza'd hit the ground. To her horror he was getting to his feet. He didn't seem to be struggling in any way. She could just about hear him talk now; the wind carrying his voice.

"You're not just any brat. That even that hurt me a little..." Freeza muttered, "You chose the wrong opponent; you've only made me angry."

His ki began to rise once more.

"No... No way... not again!" Hairiyu cried trembling. She'd just seen Gohan give it everything he had and yet that hadn't even fazed Freeza! She felt like with every second that passed, she understood just how hopeless and futile their fight was! Her confidence, her hope, her belief in her friend's abilities; all were fading.

"He can control his battle strength!" Vegeta's realisation reached Hairiyu's ears.

Those words just made her feel all the more helpless.

"Now..." The words slipped from Freeza's mouth, "I shall return the pain many times over."

He approached Gohan slowly, soon face-to-face with him. Gohan seemed just as scared and frozen as Hairiyu.

"Run you fool!" Vegeta bellowed.

Gohan was struck down. The sound and sight of him slamming into the ground made Hairiyu flinch; she couldn't bear to watch anymore of this but she had to know that Gohan was ok!

"Don't get yourself killed now," Freeza taunted, "I'm just starting to have fun!"

A yell caught the half-Saiyan and Freeza's attention – what appeared to be a rogue energy attack struck him clean in the back. In that instant the atmosphere trembled with deafening soundwaves as the monster vanished from view, first engulfed in light, then smoke.

Hairiyu was stunned; her father had managed to hit him! The shockwaves suddenly reached her and she was pushed back a little, defending herself from the powerful gusts. That had been stronger than she'd first thought!

She could hear her father's jeers. "He took it head-on! He was so cocky he left his guard down!" His laughter made Hairiyu glance back over.

The laughing stopped.

Freeza appeared looking a little dusty but unscathed! He glanced over to Vegeta, "Don't get ahead of yourself. You and I will have plenty of time to play, as will I and the other little brat." With that he descended down to Gohan.

"We're doomed..." Hairiyu croaked.

Freeza wasted little time; Gohan had leapt up to attack but was quickly shut down when Freeza kneed him in the hip. Gohan's cries floated through the air. With every injury Freeza inflicted, another scream reached Hairiyu's ears. It was such a chilling sound. She was scared of it, she was scared of what she was seeing. She'd seen this too much; too much of her friends being tortured and killed! First Yamcha, then Chaozu, then Tenshinhan, then Piccolo; they'd all been killed. Goku'd been beaten down to a bloody pulp on more than one occasion. She'd fought alongside Gohan and Krillin – and even her father – she'd seen them all be torn apart. She'd been torn up and brushed aside. What use would she be to the others? She knew she couldn't beat Freeza. She was aware she'd do little damage if any!

Gohan was struck down once more; Freeza pinned him down with a foot, crushing his head. Gohan screamed out.

"No..." The words were barely audible from her mouth.

"What's the matter Vegeta?" Freeza bellowed. "Aren't you going to save him? He won't last much longer!"

"Stop it." Hairiyu growled, the muscles all over her body starting to tighten rather than tremble.

Gohan's ki was plummeting. Freeza laughed as he put more pressure onto his skull.

"STOP IT!" Hairiyu screamed.

With no real control over herself due to her rage, she flew down straight for Freeza who turned to face her. Strangely fearless and in what must have been a moment of luck, Hairiyu's fist made contact with Freeza's cheek. The impact was strong enough to make him lose his grip on Gohan; it even sent him stumbling back a couple of steps.

In that split second Hairiyu took a leaf out of Gohan's book and started to throw out blast after blast, swallowing Freeza up in a fiery mass of energy once again. All reason had left her; all she wanted to do was attack and hurt him, hurt the person hurting those she cared about! Each attack drained her own energy but she continued, screaming out furiously.

Freeza appeared through the smoke, catching Hairiyu by surprise. In an instant he'd made contact with her somehow; Hairiyu's nose stung and she found herself flying uncontrollably backwards, slamming into the water-

Something struck her back; Hairiyu felt something crack and she screamed out, the scream choked as she was elbowed in the ribs. Her vision was gone and her fall stopped, an awfully painful tug of her hair left her hanging, mouth gaping open as she tried to catch her breath back, trying to register the pain she felt. Her legs were numb; she was sure her nose was bleeding.

One eye opened; Freeza's cold stare glared back at her.

"Apparently you wanted to help him... or did you want me to kill you next? Either way is fine by me; I'll get to you sooner or later!"

One blow to her stomach pushed out all the breath inside her lungs. Hairiyu coughed desperate for oxygen, body numb or aching profoundly. Her vision blurred, more areas of her body screamed out in pain as Freeza began to beat her like a punching bag. Out of the corner of her eye, Hairiyu was sure she could just about make out her father hovering above... Wasn't he going to help her?

She suddenly felt the wind brush past her cold wounds, her hair floating around her cheek. Was she falling?

One eye weakly opened; she saw a yellow disc shoot underneath Freeza, slicing his tail.

The sudden cold shock of the water was the last thing she felt.


	33. Chapter 032

**Chapter 032 - Piccolo's Return**

She was still a little wet but she could breathe. The last she could remember, she was on the receiving end of a thrashing from the monster Freeza had now become. Yet something was bizarrely wrong. She felt alive. Her aches... what aches? Why did she feel ok and not as if she'd had the stuffing knocked out of her?

Confused, Hairiyu opened her eyes.

"Hey, glad you're ok!" Dende smiled.

"D-Dende?" Hairiyu slowly sat up, looking herself up and down. Her body looked ok leaving her almost speechless. "... Wha?" She stuttered out, not even managing to finish her word properly.

"I healed you," Dende answered.

"You healed me?" Hairiyu gawked in awe. "I didn't know you could heal people Dende! That's really cool!" She got to her feet, suddenly remembering where she was! "H-Hey, did you heal Gohan and Krillin?" She spluttered.

"Yeah; Krillin went to go distract Freeza so I could heal you both!" Dende asked. "They flew off in that direction."

"Glad to see you're ok!" Gohan added, it was only now Hairiyu noticed he was standing the other side of her.

"Gohan!" Hairiyu beamed. "You're ok too!"

"Vegeta! Come on!"

Gohan, Hairiyu and Dende all looked up; Krillin was beside Vegeta. Freeza was closing in on them both whilst they seemed to be arguing!

"You'd better hide Dende!" Gohan instructed, shooting up into the sky.

Hairiyu was about to follow when something came to her mind. How could she almost forget her manners like that? She quickly turned around and smiled at the young Namekian. "Thank you." With that done she took off and joined the others.

Things weren't looking so bad now; maybe there was a way for them to survive! Dende was here!

Freeza seemed stunned to see the two of them alive and well! "Impossible! Those brats are healed too? They were dying!"

"Hey, ready to charge up your energy Hairiyu?" Gohan smiled.

"I guess so," Hairiyu nodded.

Both began to increase their power, Hairiyu now feeling a little more optimistic. Even if she was beaten down, Dende could just heal her back to normal! As long as he could keep doing that then perhaps they really did have a chance! With that in mind she continued to power up, releasing her full power.

"Like the Saiyans they are, their power levels went up after all they've been through," Vegeta smirked. "Things are just starting to look a little better!"

"Alright, let's go!" Gohan declared.

"Y-You wanna charge him head-on?" Hairiyu asked, not feeling as fired up as apparently her friend was!

"Is there any other way?" Gohan asked. "I know things are still looking grim but I'm not gonna give up!" He charged forwards-

Hairiyu was caught off-guard as something suddenly darted in front of Gohan; it had moved so fast she couldn't tell what it was!

"Sorry for the wait."

She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Sentiment began to get the better of her, as did happiness. Her eyes teared up and she smiled with a mixture of happiness and relief. "Piccolo!"

"Piccolo! You finally made it!" Gohan cheered. "We were waiting for you!"

Hairiyu's eyes carefully studied her mentor. He looked even stronger than before and the air around him seemed as serious as ever! She couldn't explain just how happy she was to see him!

"So that's Freeza?" Piccolo muttered. "He does look like a formidable foe..."

"Well what do we have here? So who comes along but the weakling we beat on Earth!" Vegeta didn't seem too happy to see Piccolo.

Hairiyu shot him a look. She didn't like hearing anyone call her mentor weak – he was one of the strongest fighters she knew!

"I still can't believe you wasted your wishes..." Vegeta continued, "...on bringing back this useless sack of trash back to life!"

"Hey, Piccolo's not trash!" Hairiyu snapped.

"Sorry I'm a useless sack of trash," Piccolo replied coolly. "Just remember this. As soon as I'm done with Freeza, it'll be your turn."

Vegeta sniggered. "I didn't know Namekians had senses of humour."

Now Hairiyu was a little anxious; Piccolo was gonna fight her dad after Freeza? She wondered if it was really necessary but couldn't see any reason why her father wouldn't turn on them once this was over... or at least no realistic reason!

"Now, time to clean up some space garbage," Piccolo began to float away from the others towards Freeza, "I'll do it myself. You guys stay out of this!"

Before anyone could interrupt, Piccolo descended down to the ground, Freeza following his lead.

"He's crazy! It's suicide!" Krillin cried. "He can't fight Freeza alone! He doesn't understand how terrible Freeza is at all!"

"Leave him; he'll soon find out!" Vegeta snorted in amusement.

Hairiyu didn't want to leave him to find out. As much as Freeza scared her she'd rather join Piccolo and the others in battle than leave Piccolo to fight alone!

"Piccolo can usually tell his opponent's strength," Gohan mumbled, "he's got to have some reason to think he can win!"

"I agree but I don't think Piccolo's gonna..." Hairiyu couldn't finish her sentence. It was something she didn't want to believe; she couldn't make herself physically say the words even though she had a dreadful feeling they'd be true.

"How can you say that?" Gohan asked a little disgusted. "You've gotta believe in him Hairiyu! Piccolo wouldn't act like this unless he had a plan!

"I know; usually I'd agree with you but... but this is Freeza!" Hairiyu whimpered. "He's probably just gonna power up some more just like all those other times! I don't like this either. I don't like saying it. He's just too scary!"

The fight began.

Piccolo seemed to have the upper hand for a couple of shots, although Freeza quickly retaliated. Hairiyu was left gobsmacked as Piccolo matched Freeza blow for blow, each finding a weakness in defence and taking advantage of it! The fight moved up into the sky and continued for quite some time here.

Freeza knocked Piccolo down into the ground, firing off what felt like an insanely strong energy blast straight for him! Piccolo recovered and landed on his feet, roaring out as he knocked the blast straight back up into the sky. In an instant he too had fired off an insanely strong blast of his own, catching Freeza off-guard and striking him!

The smoke cleared. Freeza had his guard up. He'd taken on damage.

None of the witnesses could believe their eyes!

"He's as good as Freeza!" Krillin spluttered.

"No. He's better!" Vegeta snarled.

"I didn't realise he was so strong!" Gohan beamed.

"I guess I got it wrong," Hairiyu smiled in relief. "Piccolo's doing really well!"

"We might just get out of this alive you guys!" Krillin grinned.

Piccolo and Freeza were now face-to-face, neither talking nor choosing to move...

In a flash, Freeza'd punched Piccolo to the ground – Piccolo spent minimal time down as he leapt up avoiding the oncoming attack; Freeza's fist struck the spot he'd been in less than a second ago.

The Namekian flew higher, Freeza was suddenly above him! With one fell swoop, Piccolo was sent hurtling into the ground below.

Hairiyu's jaw had dropped. Maybe she'd spoken too soon; maybe they all had!

"Oh man... he was just faking it!" Krillin shuddered.

Piccolo emerged through the dust looking a little worse for wear. His energy had also decreased from that strike, unsettling the onlookers. It wasn't a good sign.

Freeza landed before the Namekian. "Do forgive me Piccolo but you were better than I expected. I thought I'd teach you a little lesson!"

Piccolo slowly rose to his feet.

"Now this little game is over." Freeza sneered.

Without a word Piccolo removed his weighted clothing, chucking both items to the ground with a thud before stretching out his muscles. "Good idea; I'll get serious too."

"What? You mean you weren't at full power?" Freeza seemed surprised. "... I thought Namekians didn't tell lies."

Krillin gasped at Piccolo's remark, "What's he doing playing around at a time like this? The universe and our lives are at stake and he's not even fighting seriously?"

"Of course – Piccolo's cape has weights in it!" Hairiyu realised.

"Yeah!" Gohan nodded.

"Now feel the pain of the countless Namekians you killed!" Piccolo's loud roar reached them.

"We can win!" Gohan grinned.

"I see I've given you the wrong impression..." Freeza smiled. "Did you think that would bother me? You don't know about my transformations, do you? Maybe you should ask Vegeta about it – unless he's too afraid to speak!"

"Transformations?" Piccolo repeated.

"Are you beginning to feel afraid?" Freeza asked, the smile spreading across his face. "Then I'll tell you this. My power increases hugely each time I make a transformation - and I still have two more."

There it was! The reason for why Hairiyu had doubted Piccolo could win despite his obvious increase in power! This was Freeza they were up against! Even though she'd expected this it didn't stop her from feeling scared. She didn't want to believe what she was hearing! Once again everyone's hopes had been raised only to be horribly snatched away!

"What did he say?" Krillin cried. "Tell me I didn't hear that!"

"... Two more... transformations?" Gohan quivered.

"You should feel honoured!" Freeza yelled, clenching his fists. "You're the first ones ever to see this!"

_'No, don't do it! Don't!'_ Hairiyu pleaded desperately.

In one bizarre move, Freeza tossed his arms down – two points suddenly sprung out of his back! Hairiyu watched sickened and terrified as the monster began to take shape, growing even taller and uglier – his head making a noticeable change in shape and size! As he physically changed, his ki bolted higher and higher. Each second obliterated the ceiling of what Hairiyu thought was possible. It was a nightmare; her energy had gone up but already she was back to feeling like an insignificant ant against a dinosaur...

The result was hideous.

Freeza had taken on a far uglier look; his head almost representing an aubergine in shape. His face reminded Hairiyu a little of that Zarbon guy, only far scarier looking! It had left her trembling speechless, too scared to even scream.

"Sorry for the wait..." Freeza muttered, "Shall we begin the second round?"

"H-He didn't change that much..." Krillin mumbled.

"Fool! Don't you sense his power?" Vegeta growled. "His power's never been like this before! Even the damage Piccolo did to him before..."

"It's gone!" Gohan realised. "Oh no... he's healed!"

Freeza bolted, or at least Hairiyu thought he did. All she saw were two blurs – then suddenly both fighters were almost a thousand metres above them! Freeza stood in Piccolo's way. Piccolo looked rather shocked... she didn't like how shocked he looked!

In a flash something had happened. Piccolo was bleeding and Freeza's hand was stretched out; forefinger and middle finger fully extended. Again this sudden damage happened! Again, Piccolo was unable to dodge... Hairiyu guessed it was a kiai like Goku'd used before. The question was how could you dodge something you couldn't see?

"His speed's incredible!" Krillin exclaimed grimly. "You'll never be able to dodge that!"

Out of nowhere Gohan screamed and bolted forwards at full speed. "STOP IT!"

"Gohan!" Krillin yelled, about to rush forwards when something stopped him. Vegeta'd grabbed him.

"Don't be a fool!"

Hairiyu looked and watched as Gohan closed in on Freeza; his kick missing.

Gohan charged up an attack and fired it off towards his opponent; Hairiyu and the two men beside her were suddenly thrown back by the force as Freeza was finding himself being forced down towards the ground! It looked as if Gohan's hidden powers had been awakened once more – Gohan had Freeza on the ropes!

"Go Gohan!" Hairiyu cheered. "Come on!"

Closer and closer the blast moved to the ground...

It suddenly shot straight back up towards Gohan as Freeza pushed back! Gohan was too stunned to move!

"MOVE!" Hairiyu shot forwards-

Piccolo's blast knocked Gohan's inbound attack and sent it shooting off at a tangent missing him. Hairiyu stopped in her tracks and breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't believed she would have made it in time.

"Th-Thanks Piccolo..." Gohan was out of breath; Hairiyu was sure that attack had taken most of his power.

"H-He bounced it back... but you've still grown so strong Gohan..." Piccolo looked awful. "It makes me happy..."

"It's no use. I used everything I had..." Gohan huffed, "... but it wouldn't work on Freeza."

None of them had any idea that Freeza was cottoning onto the fact Gohan was part Saiyan.

"Alright!" Freeza's voice caught Hairiyu's attention. "It would be easy to pound you all into jelly the way I am now but let me give you the honour of glimpsing the ultimate power!"

"... Oh..." Hairiyu gulped, fearful of how that sentence would end.

"Feast your eyes on my ultimate transformation – My true form!"

"Wh-what? Wh-wh-why?" Hairiyu trembled violently. Why was he transforming again?

Freeza began to transform.

In the confusion, Vegeta's energy plummeted; Krillin's ki fluctuated. The strange behaviour caught the others' attention – Hairiyu gasped in horror. Vegeta was falling through the sky, a gaping hole in his stomach! What had Krillin done?

"K-KRILLIN!" She bellowed, once again taken over by anger and confusion. In a flash she'd flown over towards him and had grabbed his arms. "Why did you do that? What's wrong with you? Why'd you kill my dad?"

"C-Calm down Hairiyu!" Krillin brushed her hands off him and placed his on her shoulders. "Don't worry, your dad's gonna be fine! ...As long as Dende gets to him!"

"Why did you do it? Why?" Hairiyu demanded.

"Look we don't have much time!" Krillin barked. "Let's go join Gohan and I'll explain what's going on! It's all part of a plan Vegeta came up with!"

What kind of crazy plan was Krillin talking about? Hairiyu couldn't see how her father being blasted through the stomach was a sane plan!

Gohan had moved Piccolo down to the ground; Hairiyu was anxious to make sure Piccolo was alright but felt even more anxious to make sure Dende healed her fatally wounded father! "Wh-What happened to Piccolo?" She asked Gohan.

"He's really wounded; I'm gonna try and get Dende to fix him right up," Gohan replied beginning to dash off, Krillin and Hairiyu following.

"Before you get on my back, what happened to Vegeta was all part of a plan!" Krillin quickly started before Hairiyu even had the chance to press him on the matter! "Saiyans get stronger every time they come back from a near-death experience! He deliberately put himself through that on purpose so he could become strong enough to take on Freeza!"

"So that's what that was...?" Hairiyu pondered this. Was her father really that desperate to win? That was a stupid question – they were all desperate to win but even more desperate to survive!

Dende suddenly flew past the trio, landing beside Piccolo.

Hairiyu glanced to her father, horrified to see he'd fallen flat on his face. "... Daddy..." She stayed still as the others made their way back over to Piccolo, eventually she too joined them. She was pleased to see Piccolo looking well again but was growing desperate not to let her father die.

"D-Do I have abilities like this?" Piccolo asked, looking himself over.

"No, you're a warrior Namekian," Dende shook his head.

"So now you can heal my daddy too!" Hairiyu smiled eager to drag him back over to the Saiyan.

"... I'm sorry." Dende frowned shaking his head glumly.

Hairiyu stared at him as if she'd heard something terrible, after all she had heard something terrible! She didn't understand. "B-But... But you can heal everyone else. He's my daddy, Dende! Please don't let him die!"

"I'm really sorry Hairiyu but I can't!" Dende cried. "Not after what he's done to my people! I can't heal someone like that! He's just as terrible as Freeza!"

"Please Dende!" Hairiyu choked teary-eyed. Time was running out for all of them - especially her dad since he was bleeding to death!

"Look I know it's hard for you to do so but we really need his help," Krillin butted in. "Trust me I can understand where you're coming from. I don't like him either for what he's done but facts are facts; we need him!"

"It's alright Dende," Piccolo muttered. "I could defeat Vegeta now but not Freeza. We need his help whether we like him or not."

"Please...?" Hairiyu sobbed, she couldn't control her emotions. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

A large explosion cut them off from arguing as something landed on the island next to them, scattering dust and whipping up high winds.

"It's Freeza!" Piccolo gasped. "He's finished transforming!"


	34. Chapter 033

**Chapter 033 - Loss**

The smoke before them was far too thick to see through fully, though it was just about possible to make out a silhouette somewhere around the middle. The entire island Freeza'd last been seen on was now completely engulfed.

Piccolo and the others watched anxiously from a neighbouring island.

"N-No, we should have been suppressing our ki and finding somewhere to hide!" Krillin snarled frustrated.

"It would have made no difference if we had!" Piccolo responded above the deafening roar of the wind. "He'd only destroy the entire planet; he has no more use for it!"

The ki she felt radiating from the area Freeza'd landed on was almost limitless; it was as if he was reaching into a never-ending pool of pure evil energy. One of their strongest fighters was dying, another was healing just a little ways away in Freeza's ship and the third was of no use against Freeza anymore.

"Please Dende, please heal Vegeta!" Gohan begged.

"Freeza's more monstrous than ever!" Krillin growled.

Hairiyu looked at the young Namekian trying to sniff her tears back up. This was no time to be crying and she was embarrassed to be doing so but the sheer pressure of Freeza's ki mixed with the pressure to keep her dad alive more than overwhelmed her.

The pressure seemed to work; Dende took off straight for Vegeta. Hairiyu breathed a small sigh of relief before wiping her tears away. At least this way their chances weren't as slim.

The smoke began to clear, Freeza finally emerged.

In the back of her mind Hairiyu felt her father's ki fluctuate back to normal but her attention lay on Freeza. She couldn't take her eyes off him... He looked a lot different from what she'd been expecting! The horns had gone; he looked slender yet strong, he'd shrunk in size yet his ki had never been so high! His eyes were still as cold as ever.

"...That's Freeza's final form?" Krillin asked slightly taken back. "He doesn't look so scary..."

"That's a good example of why you should never judge people by appearances!" Piccolo spat. "His ki hasn't even come close to this level in any of his other forms! I'd rather have faced any of the forms before this... and after all the hell I put you guys through on wishing me back... I don't think I can be of much use anymore..."

"D-Don't say that Mr Piccolo!" Hairiyu gulped. "... None of us are gonna be useful..."

"Hey..." Krillin mumbled perking up, eyes kept on the monster on the island before them.

There was a small flash from Freeza – something exploded behind them!

Like the others, Hairiyu turned to see what had happened, face dropping when she realised it had hit someone.

Dende was on the ground, face down. His ki was gone.

"D-Dende!" Gohan screamed.

"I didn't even see it!" Piccolo stammered. "It looked like there was a flash of light... and then..."

"Dende, no!" Hairiyu shrieked. "Dende!" She ran towards him, suddenly snatched back. She glared around to see Krillin held her.

"It's no use. I know it's hard..." Krillin frowned. "Focus on the fight."

"He saw Dende heal us and took him out!" Piccolo realised.

This was bad. Now being beaten down inches to death really meant death... Their biggest advantage was gone.

Freeza suddenly emerged in front of them!

"I promised I'd show you a fear worse than hell..." he mumbled.

Anger consumed Hairiyu for the loss of Dende. That had been their only hope of survival yet what was worse, he'd done nothing to deserve that! Despite her fears and the other's protests, her anger took hold and she charged forwards at Freeza, throwing her fists out as fast as she could.

Gohan and Krillin joined in – Freeza able to dodge all three's attacks with ease. Even when Piccolo joined it didn't make it any easier to hit him. In a desperate bid the Namekian leapt up into the sky, firing off an attack.

Hairiyu jumped backwards alongside the others as Freeza dodged the oncoming attack. She charged up her own blast, shooting it directly into his path alongside a Kamehameha and several blasts from Gohan.

Freeza vanished. All attacks missed.

"BEHIND YOU!" Vegeta bellowed.

There was another flash-

"MOVE YOU IDIOT!"

By the time she'd turned around to glance at what had just exploded, Gohan had been knocked down to the ground. She whirled back around in confusion; had he just done that attack again?

"I couldn't even see that attack!" Krillin mumbled in awe.

"Gohan nearly..." Hairiyu clenched her fists agitated. Krillin was right; they all had to focus on the fight and stay on guard. One slip-up would certainly mean death.

"T-Thanks for saving me." Gohan got to his feet.

"Don't get the wrong idea; I don't care about you..." Vegeta muttered, "... I just wanted to show off what I can do!"

"You mean... you think you can win this?" Piccolo gasped.

"Something like that." Vegeta nodded, "... Now move, you'll all just get in the way!"

Was he being serious? Hairiyu was in shock; did her father really think he could win? Had that near-death experience really given him all the power he needed? Was it really that much of an increase?

"Such confidence Vegeta, or has fear unhinged you?" Freeza asked coolly.

"Tell me about fear Freeza!" Vegeta jeered. "I have become what you've always feared – A Super Saiyan!"

For the briefest of moments, Freeza's eyes widened, smile dropping to a pout. For that sheer moment in time he looked surprised. Then as soon as it came, it left, once again replaced by that unhindered, confident stare. "... Well we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I do appreciate your attempt at humour."

With no further discussion, Vegeta began to power up. The increase in energy did the usual; the ground shook violently, the wind picked up and Hairiyu found herself unable to move from pure fear and awe. Her father's ki was gigantic now – he was a lot stronger than before!

Vegeta dashed forwards, suddenly shooting off into the sky as Freeza vanished completely. Hairiyu couldn't see Freeza at all and so was really impressed her father could. She could barely make out his movements, impressed and in awe with how much power he'd gained. That had to have been the reason why each time she and Gohan had taken a beating and then been healed they'd somehow grown a lot stronger.

Freeza's laugh was barely audible but still broke her away from her thoughts. "You still can't keep up with me, can you?"

Her father was up in the sky looking down; Hairiyu followed where she thought he was looking and spotted Freeza.

"... What's going on?" She asked. "Why did my dad stop?"

"I'm not sure; I can't see what's going on!" Gohan shrugged.

Freeza's words were barely audible over the light breeze. "...I'm afraid you don't have a prayer with that kind of speed. I think we can agree that the Super Saiyan is only a legend..."

There was all this talk about Super Saiyans – Hairiyu didn't even know what that was meant to be! Her father had called himself one, had suggested perhaps Gohan's dad could be one if he because cold hearted... just what was it? She didn't understand... More importantly it looked like her father was already in trouble. Had his massive increase in power still not been enough? Just how were they supposed to beat Freeza?

"Guys... It looks like Freeza's too much even for Vegeta!" Krillin stuttered.

"I think you're right," Piccolo nodded.

"No way... dad's gonna lose the fight?" Hairiyu asked nervously.

"He'll lose more than the fight," Piccolo answered grimly. "... There's no one left... No one here stands a chance against Freeza..."

"I AM A SUPER SAIYAN!" Vegeta's bellow startled the others; his ki bolted up as he tossed down an energy wave straight at his opponent, quickly followed by several more in rapid succession.

What happened next was heart-breaking and painful to watch. No matter what her father did, Freeza was untouchable. Nothing worked; nothing her dad did had any success. Freeza anticipated every single blast Vegeta fired off, every move he was about to make. Slowly the Saiyan's ki was being worn down.

In a flash Freeza was in front of her father. Vegeta bolted high up into the sky almost to the point where Hairiyu could barely see him.

"... What's he doing?" She mumbled not expecting an answer...

Purple light shot down towards the planet; Hairiyu panicked over the sheer magnitude of energy it contained!

"ARE YOU TRYING TO DESTROY THE WHOLE PLANET?" Piccolo bellowed.

It was all over! Her dad was about to wipe them all out!

Freeza leapt up and kicked.

The beam deflected back up into the sky, narrowly missing Vegeta as it shot off into space.

No one could believe what had just happened.

"He deflected it... with just a kick!" Piccolo gaped flabbergasted.

"That must have been Vegeta at full power!" Krillin shuddered. "It's all over you guys! Freeza's just too much!"

"Dad... Dad's not gonna... he's not gonna..." She couldn't finish her question. She knew what the answer was.

It was all over. There was nothing any of them could do anymore. Freeza was too much for them to handle. Their only hope hadn't been enough. Now Vegeta was as useless as the rest of them.

There was no one who could even attempt to beat Freeza.

Hairiyu watched remorsefully as her father floated above them. She felt so horribly empathetic towards him; none of them could leave this fight alive anymore... and Freeza's attention was on him. He didn't seem his usual self anymore, even from how far away he was she could tell he'd lost hope just like the rest of them had.

She couldn't rid herself of the heart-wrenching fear she held for the monster – and for her father's life.

Freeza bolted up towards him, striking him in the jaw. In a flash his tail whipped her father out of the sky and sent him shooting under the water with a mighty splash.

Her instincts kicked in. "D-Dad!"

Piccolo had grabbed her before she could even attempt to jump forwards.

"There's nothing any of us can do now kid," He muttered. "We can't help Vegeta now..."

"B-But Piccolo, he's my dad – I don't want him to be killed!" Hairiyu cried fearfully.

"Stay here and stay alive!" Piccolo barked more aggressive than earlier. "You'd only get in the way and be killed by Freeza! Vegeta would still die!"

The truth was hard for her to swallow but what choice did she have? Begrudgingly and frustrated at the situation, Hairiyu turned away and reluctantly watched the one-sided battle.

Vegeta still hadn't appeared from under the surface of the water. Would it have been better to have stayed down and drowned than to have been put through whatever it was Freeza was planning? The thought sent a shiver down her back, the hairs on her neck standing on end as a sickly feeling lodged itself into her stomach.

Freeza landed on a rock barely breaking the surface. With one small gesture the entire ocean around him parted. The tyrant landed before the Saiyan prince who'd been reduced to lying flat on the bottom of the sea. He did not rise, not until Freeza forced him up, holding him by his hair.

A couple of punches to his back forced Vegeta to cry out, landing on his face as Freeza released him, then walking to the side and kicking the prince a couple more times. A final kick sent him flying skywards. Easily catching up with his prey, Freeza dealt another blow, sending her father shooting straight towards them and landing with a thud inches from where they stood.

As the dust drifted away Hairiyu's eyes frantically scanned over him; he was injured and bleeding in places. He didn't look like he'd be getting up soon. She wondered if he was already... No, his ki was still there!

"Y-You have to get up dad!" She cried. "Get up!"

Freeza was suddenly in front of them! Hairiyu froze, unable to breathe from the shock of him suddenly being so close!

Seemingly indifferent by their presence the tyrant continued to knock the little life left out of her father, turning his back to them and wrapping his tail around Vegeta's neck, raising him up with his back to him and the others.

He began to punch him in the spine, Vegeta chocking and crying out with every bone-shattering punch.

Each hit made her feel almost as if she was the one being hit. Vegeta wasn't even trying to escape and Freeza just didn't care. She didn't want him to do this. She didn't want her dad to be put through this but she couldn't move! The hold on her father's neck was surely stopping him from breathing, each strike Freeza dealt landed in the same place.

Was she just going to stand there and watch? What was wrong with her? Why wouldn't she just attack him? Why did Freeza have to be so unbelievably strong? Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn't she find the courage to do what she wanted, to stop him from hurting her father?

... She knew why.

Hairiyu was petrified. Piccolo was right; none of them would stand a chance against Freeza. Even if she did go in and attack, Freeza would see it coming. It wouldn't make any difference in the end, it wouldn't change anything. She was nowhere near his power; even if she did attack it wouldn't do anything to help her dad. One well-placed slap could easily knock her out or snap her neck. She was well aware of that, she knew where she stood.

So was she just going to stand there like the coward she was?

"You can help him whenever you feel like it..." Freeza's voice made her jump; how long had he been looking directly at her? His icy stare stayed on her for what felt like an eternity. A strange, almost taunting smile appeared on his face, "You're his kid, aren't you?"

"Wh-What?" Krillin gasped a little too loudly.

Hairiyu was equally as surprised; how did he know? Had she spoken too loudly and given it away?

A muffled cry from Vegeta brought her back; Freeza had taken his eyes off her and had once again struck the Saiyan in the spine. "What? You thought I wouldn't notice the resemblance? Just how long were you planning this absurd, futile battle?"

His attention fell back on Hairiyu, "... What, just going to stand there? Don't you want to help your dear old father?"

In one fell swoop Freeza swatted Vegeta away into a nearby rock face. Hairiyu stared terrified as he landed with a thud, rock fragments falling around him.

Freeza's attention was still on her. "...Don't look away now... I promise I'll let you see him soon..."

With that he walked over to Vegeta leaving the petrified girl to wander in her own thoughts.

"... You've lost the will to fight..." Freeza muttered as he stood over the fallen prince. "...How boring. I suppose I'll have to finish you off early!"

He grabbed the Saiyan by his armour and held him up slightly, drawing back his other hand...

There was a bright flash of light from behind.

Someone had arrived.

Surprised and confused, everyone turned to see Goku behind them, he approached them confidently.

"... I get it now. That strong energy that appeared was Piccolo; guess the Dragonballs brought you here." He continued to walk past his comrades. "I'm sorry I'm late but at least I got all better. I'll take it from here."

"... Goku?" Krillin stuttered. "Is that really you? Your ki feels different from before!"

Hairiyu wouldn't have believed it was Goku unless she'd seen him, and even now she was still finding it hard to believe!

"So you must be Freeza," Goku muttered. "I didn't think you'd look so young."

"... So there was still some trash lying around," Freeza muttered almost indifferent to Goku's arrival.

Hairiyu focused her attention beyond Freeza and looked at her father. He hadn't moved since he'd landed. Was he still conscious?

"Ka... Kakarrot..."

There it was! Vegeta's head tilted back slightly as he looked up at Goku; Hairiyu couldn't describe how happy and relieved she felt!

"Kakarrot?" Freeza seemed interested. "... That name is Saiyan." His attention turned back to Goku. "You should have stayed in hiding – I've sworn that I will allow no Saiyan to live."

"Oh yeah?" Goku retaliated.

Hairiyu wasn't sure what suddenly happened but she saw Goku's leg stretched out and Freeza standing several metres away holding his cheek. A smile appeared on Freeza's face as he fully extended his arm and his index finger.

She knew what was about to happen and jumped out of the way frantically, hearing Krillin shout some kind of warning to Goku!

Several flashes went off; Goku's hand temporarily blurred as he deflected whatever it was Freeza shot out! Even Freeza seemed surprised!

Hairiyu was in awe. First a kick and now he was blocking that strange light?

Vegeta's laugh caught her attention and she looked over to her dad.

"F-Freeza... don't take him lightly..." Vegeta warned, "... He's the one... you've been afraid of..." Slowly he leaned up on his elbows, "... He's a Super Saiyan!"

So now Goku was this Super Saiyan thing? Well he was doing a much better job against Freeza than any of the others were!

"You heard me! The legendary warrior..." Vegeta continued to gloat, "... the most powerful warrior... in the universe! Freeza... you're through... and I'm so glad... I got to live to see this day... see you... beaten by a Saiyan!"

Another flash went off. This time Hairiyu saw the beam.

Vegeta crashed onto his back, coughing up blood. There was a puncture wound in his chest from the beam, right where his heart was.

No one could find the words to speak or the ability to even make a sound. Hairiyu's eyes fixated on him, too horrified to even scream.

"Vegeta wasn't even a threat to you anymore – he couldn't move!" Goku bellowed. "You didn't have to do this!"

Her trembling body somehow managed to find the ability to move again. She walked almost trance-like over towards Goku and her father; none of the other fighters choosing to stop her.

"I told him to shut up about his stupid Super Saiyan legend – I detest people who repeat themselves," Freeza coldly replied.

"Kakarrot... you fool... that's what limits you..."

Goku looked down at Vegeta; Hairiyu feeling more and more teary-eyed hearing just how weak his voice sounded.

"Be merciless... Lose your damned sentiment... and you could truly be... the Super Saiyan..." Vegeta croaked breathless.

"I-I could never be merciless like you," Goku replied, "I don't even know what this Super Saiyan is supposed to be!"

"The... Su..." Vegeta's voice was barely clear to her now; he coughed up more blood before continuing attempting to talk.

"Stop talking Vegeta, you're just killing yourself faster!" Goku warned.

He was dying. His ki wavered and flickered, shrinking in size. Hairiyu'd stopped a good few steps away, unable to bear it anymore and falling to her knees.

"Kakarrot... how do you think... planet Vegeta... the world where you and I were born... was destroyed? It was Freeza... We worked so hard for him... We did everything he asked us to and more... and yet he killed them all... He took me from my father... when I was just a boy... he killed my father, the king... your parents... He killed them all because... he feared that a Super Saiyan... would rise up and overthrow him!"

Tears had begun to flow from his eyes making it even more heart-breaking for his daughter to see. She couldn't bear this, not anymore. For the first time her father sounded so woeful, so genuine, so close to being a person with a heart... and all because of what this monster had done. She'd had no idea it had been that way. She'd always thought Saiyans were evil, heartless fighters... yet this made them sound like just as much the victims as the Namekians. This monster had used them for his own uses and then killed them.

"Please... no more..." Goku mumbled, "Save your strength."

A shaky arm reached out towards the taller Saiyan. "Kakarrot... he made me what I am... don't let him do it... to anyone else... Please... Freeza must die... by a... Saiyan's... hand..."

The hand fell. He fell silent.

Hairiyu's shimmering eyes carefully studied her father as he lay lifeless before her. Nothing she could do could change what had already been done. The Dragonballs were gone, Dende was gone; there was nothing left to stop it. Anger, sorrow, remorse and horror engulfed the heart-broken girl as she fell to her knees, unable to hold back the tears anymore. She'd been utterly powerless to stop it and she hated it. Once again she'd let someone down and it had cost them their life.

Her father was gone.


	35. Chapter 034

**Chapter 034 - Goku Vs Freeza**

She couldn't think anymore. She didn't hear anything anyone said. As far as she was concerned, for the moment she and her dead father were the only ones there. All she could focus on was him; the cold, merciless Saiyan fighter who'd tried to kill her... and yet he wasn't as cold and as merciless as he liked to make out. He'd saved her life before and she'd done nothing to try and save him. The shame was unbearable; even more unbearable was her loss. Her father had died so horrifically; she never would have guessed in her wildest dreams she'd see him cry.

Goku took a couple of steps over and picked Vegeta up off the ground. Without saying a word Hairiyu watched as Goku placed him into a small indent in the ground, gently placing dirt on top of him and speaking more to Vegeta than anyone else. "I never thought I'd see you cry, or beg for anything. I think I understand you now..."

Just like Krillin had promised on Earth. He was being given a proper burial.

"It wasn't just the Saiyans getting murdered..." Goku spoke as he continued to bury the prince. "It's because he used you. You didn't have a chance to be anything else... Well I still respect you. Thank you for saving my son and for buying us some extra time for me to heal. You were heartless but you had the pride of a Saiyan... Please share some of that with me."

He rose back to his full height, turning his attention to Freeza. "I'm a Saiyan but I was raised on Earth. For all the Saiyans you killed – and for the Namekians too – I'm going to destroy you!"

Hairiyu once again became oblivious to her surroundings, still on her knees mourning her father.

Something suddenly snatched her from the ground.

Despite the supposed surprise she should have experienced she was too numb and saddened to react. Gohan was in the corner of her vision flying; unbeknownst to her Piccolo had grabbed her to get out of the way from the imminent fight. The four of them were retreating to a nearby island to give Goku the space he needed.

She wasn't entirely sure when she'd been placed down on the ground, it was just something she became aware of. Hairiyu realised she had no clue how long the fight had been going on for, who was winning and when she'd even been moved! It was her own fault for not paying attention.

"What happened?" Krillin was asking. "Goku still hasn't come up!"

"It's ok, his ki didn't get any weaker," Gohan replied.

What were they talking about? Where exactly was Goku supposed to be?

Something shot up to the surface of the waters before them; a ki ball. Freeza dodged it, narrowly missing the other which had surfaced seconds after the first. The monster suddenly shot heavily across several islands passing through the shallow waters between them; Goku'd somehow appeared. He looked unscathed.

Freeza quickly emerged practically unscathed.

The fight continued on and Hairiyu watched silently. Freeza apparently was also capable of making things float as he launched a barrage of rocks at Goku, catching him off-guard with some strange energy ball which seemed to have trapped Goku inside of it. With one swift move of Freeza's arms, the ball reacted to the movement. Goku was tossed down towards the ground. Upon contact the strange ball erupted with a terrific bang and blinding light, making the planet shake. The explosion knocked Hairiyu onto her back forcing her to endure the wind and dust blowing over her. Everyone around her seemed alarmed.

"I can't believe it!" Krillin gawked as the rumble from the explosion started to fade.

"Freeza's only toying with him; he could destroy the whole planet if he wanted to!" Piccolo snarled.

"Wh-Where's my dad?" Gohan asked nervously.

"...There's no point in worrying." Piccolo smiled sounding slightly relieved, "Goku's not giving it his all either. Just look behind you."

Hairiyu looked up behind her; Goku landed in front of her, slightly scathed but none-the-less alive and well. "That was a close one!" He exclaimed. "I'll have to watch out for that one!"

With that he took off and rejoined his opponent.

"... How did Goku do that?" Krillin asked clueless.

"He broke free of that paralysing light with super-speed the instant it exploded!" Piccolo explained.

"He managed to do that so fast?" Gohan was in awe.

"He's almost god-like... then again so is Freeza," Piccolo muttered.

Hairiyu sat up and watched from her sitting position again. How was this possible? Her father, Piccolo, Krillin, Gohan and herself had struggled to find any sort of upper-hand over Freeza! An attack like that would have been more than enough to kill any one of them. How was it Goku was different?

Goku was always different.

He'd had little trouble against Nappa, he'd taken most of her father's energy from him during their fight on Earth. He'd arrived on Namek far, far stronger than before and walked all over the Ginyu Force. He'd been the one to gain his body back and save Vegeta from that strange light. Now he'd come back renewed once more, suddenly he was able to take on Freeza in this manner...

Maybe what her late father had said really was true. Maybe Goku was this 'Super Saiyan' thing...

The fight led down to the ground; Goku took off the orange over-shirt and stretched. After a couple of minutes of talking - or what everyone assumed was talking - Goku went on the attack. Freeza didn't seem to be moving his arms for some reason. His strange behaviour didn't last for long; Goku seemed to have an advantage over his opponent, Freeza finally attacking with his forelimbs. The fight resumed as normal; this time Goku was being pushed back.

Once again the fighting stopped.

"Any idea of what they're doing down there?" Krillin asked.

Hairiyu got to her feet. She felt a little calmer and more composed now.

"They're just staring at one another..." Krillin added.

"... They're probing for the right moment to attack," Piccolo answered. "It feels like their power alone is enough to crush me!"

"Dad can win, right?" Gohan asked.

"There's no way of telling," Piccolo responded, "their powers are beyond our realms of comprehension."

"... He'll win," Hairiyu mumbled. "It's Goku; he'll win like he always does."

"... Do you really think so?" Gohan asked.

"Glad to see someone's finally back to reality," Krillin smiled, "although with a sentence like that I'm not so sure you are back to reality! This is Freeza we're talking about!"

Freeza suddenly had Goku on the ropes. The fight seemed to be turning in his favour. Hairiyu wondered if she'd just jinxed Goku's chances of winning and mentally scolded herself as Goku was pushed around, taking attack after attack. One flash from Freeza's hand made her inadvertently flinch; it reminded her so much of that attack he'd kept on using earlier!

"... What happened?" Gohan asked.

"He sliced up the planet," Krillin growled.

"... How can...? How is that possible?" Hairiyu was baffled.

"Well this is Freeza..." Krillin answered. "I just hope Goku's got some kind of plan. If it's as bad as it looks..."

"There is no plan! Freeza's power was greater than he or I ever imagined!" Piccolo snapped.

Goku's body began to glow red, his ki surged exponentially catching everyone all by surprise.

"What's going on? What is that light around Goku?" Piccolo stuttered.

"It's gotta be that Kaio-Ken technique he used against the Saiyans!" Krillin realised. "From what he said, using that technique can double or triple your powers!"

"I get it," Piccolo nodded. "So he had one trick still up his sleeve!"

"I'm not so sure, as long as Goku's body can keep up with the improvements then everything should be ok," Krillin muttered. "If Goku uses it wrong then it can have serious consequences on his body!"

Goku'd knocked Freeza high into the sky and had drawn his hands back, firing off a terrifyingly powerful blue energy beam.

"It's a Kamehameha!" Krillin cried. "Get down!"

Heeding Krillin's order, Hairiyu leapt down flat onto the ground, keeping her head and face covered as best as she could through the high-winds and deafening noise. The power she was sensing was mind-boggling; she couldn't see a thing even with her eyes open!

A shockwave passed over her almost knocking her dizzy. She heard sounds of an explosion. Her heart pounded and her body shook as she struggled to endure the onslaught of the attack...

The wind died down gradually and she could just about hear people moving over the ringing of her ears.

To everyone's shock, Freeza was very much alive, one hand held out before him. That one hand had been all he'd needed to cancel out Goku's powerful Kamehameha. One hand held more than enough power to destroy Goku's most powerful energy blast which had been enhanced further by the Kaio-Ken!

The truth was as clear as crystal.

"Y-You've gotta be kidding!" Krillin stuttered. "That Kamehameha should have packed a huge punch! Why doesn't Freeza show any damage?"

"Dad's ki... It shrank," Gohan noticed. He was right; Hairiyu could sense a sizable decrease. Had that been Goku at full power? If so things weren't looking good.

"How can such a creature exist?" Krillin's words mirrored Hairiyu's thoughts.

"... It's a total loss," Piccolo muttered, "Kaio warned us not to do this. Like he said we should never had tangled with Freeza no matter what."

Hairiyu gulped, now beginning to grow fearful. Another one of their fighters was quickly becoming outclassed – and this one really was their best fighter!

Freeza bolted down to where Goku stood, Goku getting to his feet as he did so. The tyrant went on the offensive once more, battering the badly drained Saiyan. Goku continued to get back up only to be knocked down again. It was painful to watch.

"That's it!" Gohan cried. "I can't stand this! I'm going in!"

"Wh- Gohan don't!" Hairiyu gasped.

"Hold on, Goku's doing something!" Piccolo butted in.

Goku was holding both hands above his head. For the briefest of moments it had everyone at a loss until finally it clicked.

"That's the Genki Dama!"

Krillin's voice made everyone turn to face him.

"Genki Dama?" Piccolo repeated.

"It's the special attack Kaio taught him in the otherworld!" Krillin explained. "He gets all living things – the animals and plants on this planet – to give him a tiny bit of energy and he combines them all into an energy ball!"

"Will it work here?" Gohan asked nervously. "This planet doesn't have as much life as Earth!"

"Goku knows that; there's nothing we can do about it!" Krillin replied. "He's got to risk it!"

"It didn't work on daddy though. Why would it work on Freeza?" Hairiyu mumbled quietly to herself.

A strange sensation came over her. Something felt like it was growing... Where and what was it?

"Up there!" Gohan gasped.

Hairiyu spotted it and gawked in awe. There was a relatively large ball of energy above them and it was slowly growing bigger. So that was the Genki Dama? The last time she'd seen it was when Krillin had thrown it – though this one looked much, much larger! She'd never seen it forming before.

"So that huge thing is the Genki Dama?" She asked.

"It's getting bigger and bigger..." Krillin mumbled.

"... You mean that's it?" Piccolo didn't sound too impressed.

"It's just as big as when he used it on Earth," Gohan frowned.

"Nah, it's gotta be one-hundred-and-fifty feet across!" Krillin shook his head. "He must be calling for more energy from the nearby planets because there's no way this planet can produce that much energy!"

"Freeza hasn't noticed yet; why doesn't Goku just attack him with it?" Piccolo snorted.

Hairiyu looked back down at the two fighters; both were still just standing there. (In all honestly she was dumbfounded that Freeza was just standing there letting Goku charge the attack up!) She prayed Goku would manage to get enough time to complete the bomb. Even if it was a long shot it was their only hope.

"... Goku needs to gather more ki or it won't be enough," Hairiyu caught Krillin mid-sentence.

"Hurry dad, hurry!" Gohan cheered anxiously.

Freeza suddenly lunged forwards and kicked Goku down – Hairiyu watched heart-pounding wildly. Had he just stopped Goku from controlling the Genki Dama? One quick shot up to the sky made her breathe a half-sigh of relief; it was still there.

"He figured it out!" Krillin cried.

"No, not yet," Piccolo shook his head. "Freeza hasn't seen it..."

Now things were growing tense. Just how much longer would Goku last before Freeza would figure out his plan? Hairiyu watched nervously, each passing second feeling more like a minute.

"... Gohan, Hairiyu, Krillin – give me all your remaining ki!"

Hairiyu looked up at her mentor confused. Why did he need their ki?

"Do it now!" Piccolo barked.

Hairiyu did as she was told and stood next to Gohan, releasing her ki outwards and into Piccolo's outstretched hand. It was such a strange feeling letting her ki go to someone else; she could feel it draining her body, her muscles growing more and more lax. Another strike to Goku's ki made her turn around; Goku'd fallen into the sea!

"Don't lose concentration Hairiyu!" Piccolo snapped. "Focus! We don't have much time!"

"S-Sorry," Hairiyu flustered and went back to focusing her ki. She was getting close to her last reserves now. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Goku emerge, grasping onto the edge of the island...

No, she had to focus. As difficult as it was not to worry about him, Hairiyu had to look away from Goku. She kept her eyes on her own hands, watching as finally Piccolo took his hand away.

"Alright, that should be enough, leave some for yourselves!" The Namekian muttered. "Just in time; it looks like he's figured it out!"

Hairiyu glanced over and gasped horrified; Freeza was looking directly at the Genki Dama! It was all over!

"You three stay here no matter what happens!" Piccolo barked before taking off, heading straight for the fight.

Goku'd pulled himself out of the water. Hairiyu watched as he attempted to attack Freeza with a desperate punch; Freeza catching his fist and pointing a finger to his head-

Piccolo struck Freeza just in the nick of time sending him crashing through the water! Hairiyu couldn't believe just how strong that kick had been and how completely off-guard Freeza had been!

He didn't stay down for long and most of Piccolo's ki had gone in that strike.

"Y-You guys, now while his attention's on the others!" Krillin ordered. "Charge up whatever ki you've got left!"

"R-Right," Hairiyu and Gohan nodded.

With all the energy she had left Hairiyu began to focus her ki into her hands, charging up a Kentoka Flash as fast as she could. The drain from Piccolo had taken its toll; she didn't have that much power left but regardless she powered up.

"Now!" Krillin yelled.

All three fighters shot off their attacks; all managing to strike Freeza, engulfing the tyrant in a plume of dark smoke.

She could barely use her powers now but even so she could sense Freeza'd barely taken any damage. This was bad. Now Hairiyu was out of energy and tired, desperately trying to catch her breath back. Although their combined moves had caused quite an explosion, it had clearly been nothing to Freeza.

The tyrant was looking over to them, muttering something under his breath. With a sadistic smile he raised one hand above his head, extending one finger fully. His ki surged higher as a dark ball of ki formed; the feeling almost hitched the breath in her throat – it was intensely packed inside that small ball. There was no way he'd use that just to kill them... he was planning something bigger...

"THIS IS THE END!" Freeza cried. "I'LL DESTROY YOU ALONG WITH THE PLANET!"

"H-He can't!" Gohan choked.

"M-Mama doesn't know about this, Krillin!" Hairiyu stammered frantically, "We've gotta tell mama!"

"You dope, there's no time for that!" Krillin yelled.

"Now!"

Piccolo's voice was faint but heard. Hairiyu looked down to see Goku toss his hands down to the ground.

Instinct made her look to the sky.

There it was heading straight for the planet. The Genki Dama had been fired.

"GET DOWN!" Krillin bellowed. "THAT THING'S GONNA MAKE A HUGE EXPLOSION WHEN IT HITS!"

She didn't need Krillin to tell her that; just sensing it terrified her! Hairiyu leapt to the floor and braced herself, wondering if somehow she'd manage to survive this at such close range! Peering between the gap of her arms she could see Freeza was trying to stop the bomb from striking the ground, she could feel the strain in his energy.

He was overcome.

The Genki Dama struck the waters and detonated.

Hairiyu screamed as she was ripped from the ground through the blinding light and deafening roar, tossed somewhere into the sky.


	36. Chapter 035

**Chapter 035 - Hurried Relocation**

The sound of rushing water blocked out all other possible sounds. The water was freezing and the current strong, almost dragging her from where she desperately clung. It was a miracle she even had the strength left to keep hold of the tiny spit of land still remaining.

With all of her effort Hairiyu tried to pull herself from the water. She had no idea where anyone else was or even if they were alive. She couldn't sense anyone but then again if they were as drained of ki as she was then it would be difficult to trace them anyway.

She pulled herself further onto the small island, coughing up seawater... or at least that's what she assumed it was. Hairiyu could barely catch her breath back, her limbs shook as she tried to sit up, failing miserably and staying face down. Opening one eye proved to be a challenge; she felt so tired and worn down. All she saw was the rocks directly in front of her and the water rushing past towards what looked like a massive swell.

That Genki Dama had certainly left an impact on the planet.

Hairiyu felt her energy slipping away slightly and closed her eyes for a moment. She wondered if the energy from the blast had reached her mother... The thought seemed to cause a reaction in her as suddenly she felt more alert. Her mother; was she alright? Had she been hurt in any way? Hairiyu had to know her mother was ok!

"There! Down there Krillin!"

That was Gohan's voice. Hairiyu opened one eye and gathered what little strength she had left, somehow managing to roll herself onto her back. She could see Gohan and Krillin descending from up above.

"Hey, glad to see you're alive kiddo!" Krillin smiled seemingly pleased. "How're you feeling?"

"Krillin this looks bad; she's bleeding," Gohan seemed a little more worried.

She was bleeding? Hairiyu couldn't feel anywhere where she may have blood; she couldn't even tell where any pain was! All of her felt painful or sore in some way or another.

"Yeah but it won't cause too much damage," Krillin replied. "Can you stand?"

"... I don't think... I dunno..." Hairiyu mumbled, not noticing her sentences weren't fully making sense.

"Right, hang on tight then," Krillin kneeled down and picked the tired girl up, supporting her from under her arm.

"... Where's my dad?" Gohan asked. "He and Piccolo were right near the explosion... Do you think they got sucked into it? I don't feel their ki."

"Maybe that's because we're too weak to sense ki anymore," Krillin replied, "Piccolo and your dad were together, they're too tough to die."

Hairiyu could barely lift her head to look straight ahead. Her thoughts were wild and made little sense to her anymore. She just wanted to curl up and go to sleep, maybe spend a couple of days in bed recovering.

"Hey look, over there Krillin!" Gohan cried pointing over to another island nearby.

"It's Piccolo..." Krillin gasped, "... and Goku too!"

"They're alive!" Gohan cheered.

Hairiyu felt herself leave the ground as Krillin began to fly, albeit he was very slow at moving. Neither he nor Gohan seemed to be able to control their ki properly anymore judging by how much they rose and fell. Now she had a better view of where the Genki Dama had struck. There was a gigantic hole in the middle of the ocean, water pouring into it. She didn't know how deep it was but could see why the currents had been so strong.

"I can hardly fly with this wimpy ki!" Krillin complained.

"... At least... you can fly..." Hairiyu mumbled. "My body won't move..."

"Don't worry," Krillin smiled, "We'll meet up with Goku and Piccolo and get you all sorted out!"

"Hey dad, Piccolo!" Gohan waved loudly.

The two boys landed, Hairiyu being walked over to the other adult members of their team. Gohan had run ahead and was hugging his worn out father. "That was awesome dad! I can't believe you made the Genki Dama so big!"

"That was a pretty awesome shot too Piccolo," Krillin added. "Who knew our ki would actually be of use!"

Hairiyu looked up at her mentor, suddenly feeling embarrassed she was being supported. She tried to move but failed, although it did get Krillin's attention. "You ok?" He asked.

"Hairiyu got injured," Gohan frowned. "Hey dad, do you have any more senzu beans?"

"No, I gave the last one to you guys and Vegeta when you were fighting those Ginyu Force guys," Goku shook his head, "Sorry... But hey it's ok. We can get back to Earth in my spaceship in six days time! We should be able to treat our wounds until we get back."

"OH!" Krillin's sudden and loud yell made Hairiyu jump, sending another surge of adrenaline through her!

"What? What is it?" Goku asked sounding worried.

"I totally forgot we left Bulma!" Krillin shivered nervously.

"Don't scare me like that Krillin, I thought you'd seen Freeza!" Goku sighed in relief.

"Hey in some ways, Bulma's scarier than Freeza," Krillin mumbled.

Hairiyu smiled, trying not to laugh. She had a feeling she knew where Krillin was coming from there. Her mother could be pretty scary when she wanted to be!

"Planet Namek has suffered greatly..." Piccolo's voice drifted off from Hairiyu's ears. She felt herself suddenly feeling overpowered by sleep, her head becoming heavy and blank. Her stomach tied itself in knots making her feel sick, this seemed to keep her conscious and Piccolo's voice returned. "...the Great Elder and all other Namekians should be able to rest in peace."

"Hey, how'd you know about the Great Elder?" Krillin asked.

Hairiyu began to shake – or rather Krillin began to shake. It made her feel awful; she opened her eyes and mouth about to ask him to stop.

Something had caught her eye.

She too began to tremble, words failing to reach her open mouth.

"Oh... my..." Krillin quivered.

"What?" Goku seemed concerned. "What is it?"

"... It's... Freeza!"

Freeza stood right in front of them upon an elevated rock, soaking wet and apparently sporting some damage, one eye closed.

His finger extended out towards them.

A flash went off along with a shockwave and loud bang. Piccolo suddenly fell.

Hairiyu's eyes widened as she heard the thud. She heard Gohan scream out his name... and then hers...

Something cold was radiating from her somewhere, she felt herself falling from Krillin's gasp, hitting the ground.

"Hairiyu!" Krillin's voice was loud.

Hairiyu could see them barely, her vision blurring now. With a little turn of her head she saw blood coming from somewhere, her chest maybe? It was on her right... or so she thought. Her body was too numb and enslaved with pain she couldn't tell anymore. People were gathered around her closely.

Her vision went, her hearing went, and her feeling went. Now was the time for her to rest...

-

The remaining fighters stood horrified and motionless as they looked over their fallen comrades. Two were down. Hairiyu's ki had vanished completely as she lay lifeless on her back. Nearby Piccolo lay on his side, his own ki not yet diminished but not too far off of fading as Hairiyu's had.

Goku took a slow but painful glance back over towards Freeza, who was muttering about how he'd almost been convinced he was going to die. One of the tyrant's fingers pointed out towards them.

"R-Run you two!" Goku stammered. "My spaceship's close to where I first found you! Take Bulma and get away from this planet!"

"What? B-But dad...!" Gohan gasped.

"What are you saying?" Krillin protested, "Goku, we can't-!"

"Just leave, you're in the way!" Goku interrupted sounding more desperate than before. "Do you want to die?"

"Do you really think I'll let you all go?" Freeza's voice cut through their conversation. "Fools! None of you will be leaving here alive!"

A flash came from his extended finger.

Krillin suddenly found himself being dragged off the ground, floating in mid-air. The small shriek from his throat caught Goku and Gohan's attention as he started to flail about, baffled at how it was he was floating.

Then suddenly he shot up into the air, screaming as he was forced further and further away from them, higher and higher into the sky.

Goku spun back around, "Freeza, stop this!"

But the tyrant did not listen; the sadistic grin on his face widened a little as he clenched his fist.

"GOKU!" Krillin's scream was drowned out, his body suddenly exploding sending a loud shockwave through the air as the area was engulfed in a dark cloud. His ki had completely vanished.

For a brief moment Son Goku felt numb. His brain struggled to accept the fact he'd just witnessed his best friend die before his own eyes. Beside him his son stood horrified and speechless as Freeza's laugh echoed in their minds...

Goku's ki began to shift. He felt as if something was trying to push its way out from within himself, something hidden deep inside of him was trying to break free. His body began to shudder as his heart rate accelerated, his muscles clenching as emotion quickly began to sweep through him. Krillin was dead; his best friend had died before his eyes, helpless against Freeza and undeserving of such a horrible fate.

"I won't... let you get away... with this...!" Goku snarled.

Gohan watched with a mixture of awe and horror as his father's ki continued to bubble and boil away. The planet's atmosphere was starting to change; bolts of lightning were starting to fall around them as the magnetic field started to react to something. He knew something big was happening. The look on his father's face scared him further; Gohan had never seen his father look so furious, almost looking as if he were struggling with something.

The changes in the atmosphere as well as the strange behaviour coming from the Saiyan warrior had also caught Freeza's attention. He stood slightly confused and bewildered, unaware that Goku's ki was rising rapidly.

With a loud scream Goku's body was engulfed by a golden glow, his hair suddenly changing from dark to golden as his muscles swelled. The energy had broken free and was now coursing through his entire body fuelled by fury and aggression.

Gohan looked at his father teffified, unable to mutter a single word. What had happened to him?

Goku took a quick glance over to his son, "Gohan, take Piccolo and get back to Earth; he's barely still alive."

Gohan did not move, still overcome by awe and fear. "B-But d-dad-"

Goku's face clenched, face scrunching up at his son's lack of urgency, "Hurry, there's not much time! Get out of here while I still have some control over myself!"

Without another word Gohan obeyed and rushed over to his mentor's side, grabbing his arm and slinging him over his shoulder. He took one quick glance down at his other friend's body. Bulma was going to be heartbroken when she found out the terrible news...

-

The sky surrounding her was a rosy pink. She was on a narrow path which extended far towards the horizon and beyond, each side surrounded by fluffy yellow clouds.

Where was she?

Hairiyu felt strange. Something about her wasn't right and she couldn't quite put her finger on it... She couldn't move her head at all, only turn and see her surroundings; she couldn't look up or down much. Not being able to move much began to make her panic; she didn't like this feeling! She didn't know where she was or where anyone else was! Where were Gohan and the others? Was Piccolo alright?

Freeza had appeared! He'd appeared despite Goku's amazing Genki Dama! Part of her thought it was expected; this was Freeza they were talking about. Most of her felt incredibly anxious and scared for the others safety. Why was it she was no longer there with them? She had no idea how she'd gotten here in the first place! She had no idea where she was!

Overcome by her fears and questions, Hairiyu began to cry loudly, the experience feeling all the more strange. She couldn't feel her mouth or facial muscles - or any muscles for that matter! Her body felt so strange, she was almost sure she didn't have any arms or legs...

-

She hadn't stayed in that strange place for very long.

Before she knew it she felt normal. She could feel the normal sensations of her body albeit she felt unusually cold and stiff. It was a strange feeling, as if she was stirring from a long, deep sleep.

Her eyes began to open, immediately darting to the spot on her chest she'd seen blood. Nothing but a small hole in her armour suggested such a thing had happened. She'd never known of sleeping for so long her wounds would heal. Usually that took a couple of days at the very least! Yet her body felt fine!

Her confusion didn't last long as her surroundings quickly grabbed her attention. She could have sworn she was still on Namek, yet this didn't look like the safe planet she'd been staying on. Something was wrong. There were terrific explosions and rumbles all over the place. What she saw scared her and she stumbled to her feet. The sky was red, the water wild and fierce. Several columns of lava spewed thousands of meters into the skies, flashes of lightning danced across them above her. The ground was rising, falling apart at her feet.

"W-What's going on?" Hairiyu cried, asking no one. She was alone on the island she'd been on before that strange dream.

Where were the others?

Hairiyu tried to keep her head and began to scan the area for power levels. Something was wrong; there felt like there was a small mist of ki all over the planet and she had no idea why. Two gigantic energies immediately caught her attention, both made her jaw drop.

One was definitely Freeza. The tyrant had grown even stronger since her dream, it was inconceivable! Was there really no limit to his power?

The other she didn't recognise. Their ki was greater than Freeza's!

Where was everyone else? Hairiyu began to grow anxious; she couldn't sense anyone else on the planet that felt like Krillin, Piccolo or Gohan. To her relief a small voice in her told her that her mother was still alive.

Unsure of what to do, Hairiyu looked over towards where she could sense the two large power levels, gasping when she noticed a familiar sight a little way away from her. Was that really what she thought it was – was it Porunga?

Something strange came over her. Baffled by the weird sensation Hairiyu looked at herself as her body began to shift-

All of a sudden everything around her had changed again! The loud explosions were gone; all she heard was the sound of birds singing and the wind gently rustling leaves. She was in what looked like a wooded area.

What was even more startling was that the grass was green. Through the leaves she could see blue skies.

"HAIRIYU!"

Hearing a familiar voice calmed her down and she turned on her heels; Gohan was running over to her! "Gohan!" She cried running back to him and giving him a big hug. "Man I'm glad to see you; I couldn't find anyone!"

"I'm so glad to see you're back!" Gohan beamed. "I thought we'd lost you for sure!"

"I thought I'd lost all of you guys too!" Hairiyu smiled. "Hey, I had the weirdest dreams! First I was in this weird place and I felt really weird, then I think I was back on Namek only the sky was dark and there was lightning and lava all over the place!"

The story had apparently brought a frown to Gohan's face.

"... What?" Hairiyu asked. "Why do you look sad?"

"... Hairiyu..." Gohan mumbled now not making eye contact with her, "... you do know that you died, don't you?"

Hairiyu's face was blank.

It took a long time for his words to register in her mind and even once they had she struggled to understand it.

"... I... what?"

Gohan now seemed even more uncomfortable; he wasn't even looking in her direction! "... Freeza shot one of those beams through your chest..."

The reality was shocking and terrifying to hear yet it made perfect sense. She knew it was true.

"... H-Hey, let's go find Bulma and the other Namekians!" Gohan suggested.

Hairiyu absently nodded and followed her friend as they walked into a clearing. So she really had died?

"... Um... Gohan?"

"What is it?" Gohan asked.

"Can... Can we not tell my mama I died," Hairiyu asked sheepishly. "She'll be sad if she finds out..."

"Sure, I don't think she knows you died, or at least I didn't tell her," Gohan nodded.

"HAIRIYU! GOHAN!"

Hairiyu gasped and instinctively shot towards her mother's voice, jumping into her arms with a leap. "MAMA!" She cried. Now the emotion hit her. She couldn't control it, her eyes were just too wet!

"Bulma, do you have any idea where we are?" Gohan asked.

"You know I was gonna ask you the same thing!" Bulma replied, "I mean, how did we suddenly end up here!"

Hairiyu looked around studying the area a little more. "... It looks really nice here... is it another planet? Why would we be on another planet with all these... Hey!" She realised what she was seeing. "Why are there Namekians here? There's lots of them!" She exclaimed.

It was true! There were loads of Namekians dotted around the surrounding area.

"P-Piccolo!" Gohan gasped. "Dende too!"

Hairiyu spotted them; Dende was healing up Piccolo! How was Dende here? Hairiyu was sure he'd been killed by Freeza! How had she even been brought back to life if she too had apparently died?

"Great Elder!" A couple of Namekian voices cried.

Hairiyu spotted the gigantic Namekian, now even more confused! "... Gohan, the Great Elder is here too!" She mumbled.

We're all here," Dende had walked over to them along with Piccolo.

"What's going on?" Piccolo'd asked Gohan.

"Everyone, gather round and I shall explain to you what has happened," The Great Elder's voice was quite clear. Hairiyu was put down on the ground and walked alongside her mother towards the ancient Namekian.

"... This is a Planet called Earth..."

"Earth?" Bulma exclaimed.

Hairiyu gawked in awe and disbelief. The scenery should have been a dead giveaway but she hadn't wanted to have been wrong! Of course this was Earth!

"My life will soon come to an end once again..." The Great Elder continued, "... but in my final moments I will answer your questions... As you know, a terrible monster by the name of Freeza had purged many of our villages, killed the innocent in order to obtain the Dragonballs... The suffering and slaughter of my children brought my life to an early end... However, some brave fighters from Earth chose to stand up to Freeza and tried to rescue us all. One still remains there and is still fighting Freeza at this very moment... There are Dragonballs on this planet as well as the ones we have on our home planet. It is with those Dragonballs that we were all brought back to life... and with the last remaining wish of our Dragonballs that we were transported to Earth..."

Hairiyu now felt like she understood. She'd died and been wished back to life with the Earth's Dragonballs. That other monstrous power she felt fighting Freeza must have been Goku... That left someone uncounted for...

"... We don't see any of the villagers from Elder Caracol's village," one Namekian mumbled.

"That must be the village I attacked."

The familiar voice made a lot of surprised heads turn.


	37. Chapter 036

**Chapter 036 - A New Leader**

She had never expected to hear that voice ever again; just hearing it hitched the breath in her throat. Hairiyu spun around, jaw dropped in shock.

Vegeta stood leaning against a nearby tree looking pretty smug. She didn't care. She was lost in shock at seeing him alive and well!

"Your wish was to resurrect everyone killed by Freeza and his men, right?" The Saiyan asked. "Too bad I'm not one of Freeza's men!"

Several of the Namekians were spitting angry looks over towards her dad making Hairiyu a little embarrassed; she knew they wouldn't attack him but wasn't sure about what her father would do.

Several sudden large thuds made her heart bolt into hyper-mode! Her eyes fixated on several large round rocks which apparently had fallen from the sky!

"It would seem that the Dragonballs have followed me here..." The Great Elder smiled. "As I say, little of my life remains now. Muri, please step forwards."

An old Namekian stepped forward, "Y-Yes Great Elder?"

"Muri, when I pass you shall become the new guardian of the Dragonballs... and the new Great Elder of our people..." The Great Elder explained, his body starting to slowly become translucent, slowly fading then returning a little, then fading again. "Find a place... where Namekians... can live in... peace... forever... Goodbye my children..."

The Great Elder had vanished completely.

Hairiyu felt herself become overwhelmed again; another person had died! She desperately tried to hold back her tears, sniffing every-so-often. In her mind she thanked the Great Elder for bringing out her full potential, even if at the end it had been useless...

"Farewell Great Elder," Piccolo mumbled, "Rest in peace."

"... I understand," Dende spoke up, "you merged with Nail! That's how you knew my name and knew of the Great Elder!"

"Hey Gohan, where's Krillin?" Hairiyu asked, suddenly realising who they were missing.

"Yeah, he should be here too!" Bulma added. "What about your dad?"

The frown on Gohan's face made Hairiyu's stomach plunge. "... Krillin... was killed by Freeza..." Gohan answered. "Dad chose to stay on Namek to fight."

"What?" Piccolo gasped. "He stayed to fight Freeza?"

"He wanted to avenge Krillin," Gohan nodded.

_'I can't believe Krillin died too...'_ Hairiyu frowned.

"Hey wait a second!" Bulma interrupted. "If Krillin was killed then why wasn't he brought back to life too?"

"If the Dragonballs bring you back once you can't be brought back again," Gohan answered. "It's the same with Chaozu."

"... Is that how it is with the Dragonballs on Earth?" Dende asked.

"What?" Hairiyu asked baffled.

"The Dragonballs of Namek can revive a person many times, as long as they didn't die of natural causes," Dende explained.

A smile came to Hairiyu's face as Gohan relayed exactly what her thoughts were.

"Then when we finally get another wish on your Dragonballs, we can wish Krillin and Chaozu back to life!" Gohan exclaimed excitedly.

"We could probably wish everyone back to life with the Namekian Dragonballs since we get three wishes!" Hairiyu added. "... Oh wait... no, we'd need to use them twice since now Krillin's also gone..."

"Is Goku insane?" Piccolo still seemed to be lulling over the fact, not really caring he'd changed the subject. "He must have seen how superior Freeza's powers are! How little chance he has! Does he have a death wish?"

Hairiyu frowned, now feeling a little bad for Goku. Then again if he'd been that power she'd sensed...

"It'll be ok; dad will win!" Gohan smiled.

Hairiyu looked over to him; he seemed so confident in his father.

"How can he win?" Piccolo asked.

"I saw it with my own eyes," Gohan answered. "Dad finally turned into a Super Saiyan!"

Hairiyu gasped. "A Super Saiyan? ... How do you know what a Super Saiyan looks like? What is a Super Saiyan anyway? Everyone keeps talking about them..."

"Boy, are you absolutely certain?"

Vegeta'd approached the group; he looked pretty agitated and violent! The move towards them apparently had made her mother's arms rest on her shoulder-pads.

"I'm positive," Gohan nodded. "His power was amazing when he transformed, it looked like he'd been consumed by fire! I'll bet he was more than enough for Freeza once he transformed!"

"When did he transform?" Hairiyu asked. "What did he look like?"

"Uh, well he transformed after Krillin and-" Gohan stopped himself remembering Bulma was present. Hairiyu'd specifically asked him not to tell her mother that she'd been killed too! "... He transformed when Krillin died and Piccolo was injured! He had blonde hair which stood up on end and a yellow glow around him!"

"Wow. I wish I could have seen it..." Hairiyu mumbled, making Gohan jolt a little.

"Where were you then?" Bulma asked.

"Um... I was... I was looking for you to make sure you were ok!" Hairiyu stuttered nervously – she'd just dug her own hole!

"Hey, where'd you get the... YEEK!" Bulma screamed and jumped back. "You're both in Saiyan armour!"

"Yeah, Vegeta gave it to us," Gohan nodded.

"What? V-Vegeta?" Bulma recoiled. "Oh, by the way – what were you doing flying around with Vegeta and taking the Dragonball? No one bothered to stop and tell me what was going on!"

"We were in a hurry but we were gonna try and make our wish," Gohan answered. "That's when these guys called the Ginyu Force showed up. Dad beat them all – we came back to get the Dragon Radar from you and then soon after that we got our wishes granted and brought Piccolo back to life!"

"Right, well thank you for letting me know while all this was happening!" Bulma snorted.

Hairiyu looked back over to her father; he'd returned to the tree he'd been at before. She was still surprised to see him of all people here! "... How come dad got wished back too?"

"I dunno, I guess whoever wished everyone back to life also wished him back," Gohan suggested. "I wonder if my dad's beaten Freeza yet..."

"Maybe," Hairiyu mumbled. "You really think he can?"

"I know he can," Gohan nodded, "I saw him transform – I know he can beat Frieza! His power was incredible!"

-

It was a little while later before any news came through, and it turned out it was directly from Kaio.

Hairiyu and Gohan were talking to Dende when Bulma began to act strangely.

"What? Yamcha?"

Hairiyu turned around confused; what was her mother talking about? Yamcha was dead.

"What's wrong?" Gohan asked. "Is it Kaio?"

"...Yeah! How'd you know?" Bulma mumbled. "It's Yamcha talking though." She turned away and glanced forwards, not that it really mattered where she looked! "So how are you Yamcha?"

Hairiyu walked over to her mother, assuming Kaio was getting Yamcha to talk to her telepathically. She eagerly waited for her mother to say something. Surely it was news about Goku and Freeza's fight.

A smile lit up her mother's face. "Hey guess what? Goku defeated Freeza!"

It was almost too good to be true. Hairiyu grinned and turned to Gohan who seemed just as ecstatic. "He did it!" She cheered.

"Go dad! I knew he could do it!" Gohan grinned.

"So he beat him... Unbelievable!" Piccolo muttered.

Bulma's smile dropped. "... Hold on guys, there's more. Planet Namek blew up in the fight and Goku died. He coudln't get off the planet in time..."

The words hit her slowly. Gohan's dad had beaten Freeza yet Gohan's dad had died...? Anxiously she looked back at Gohan; how would he take hearing his father had died again? It was heart-breaking.

"... Dad didn't make it?" Gohan mumbled looking shocked more than anything.

"Don't worry about it!" Bulma smiled. "The Namekians came to Earth with their Dragonballs so we can just bring Goku back with the Namekian Dragonballs! They can bring back people more than one time! We can even bring back Krillin and Chaozu!"

"Yeah, that's true," Hairiyu smiled at Gohan. "See, we can bring your dad back and it'll all be ok!"

"I guess so," Gohan nodded a little, still looking a little unhappy. Hairiyu wondered if he was holding back any tears or not. She felt awful for him but knew there was a solution for them. At the end of the day he could be wished back.

"... Oh..." Bulma's smile had dropped once more making Hairiyu nervous. Maybe she'd wished too soon.

"What's wrong Bulma?" Gohan asked.

"... Kaio says we can't bring Goku or Krillin back..." Bulma mumbled. "The dragon always brings you back to life where you died. Chaozu died on Earth so he'll return here but... Goku and Krillin died on planet Namek... and since there's no planet Namek they'll come back to life in space... but you can't breathe in space so they'd die... Kaio can't do anything about it..."

"That's awful..." Gohan frowned. "So dad and Krillin... they're gone for good?"

Hairiyu frowned feeling her emotions slowly welling up inside of her. So they were gonna stay dead? Not even the Dragon or Kaio could do anything to stop it?

The news that both Goku and Krillin were going to stay dead was almost too much to bear. Two people who'd had such a large impact on Hairiyu over the past two years of her life were suddenly gone forever.

"I'm really sorry Gohan," Bulma frowned.

"Why don't you idiots use your brains for a change?"

Hairiyu looked up and over to her father; he was facing them with his arms crossed, leaning against a nearby tree. She'd almost forgotten he was here!

"Bring them back to life after you transport their souls here!" Vegeta muttered. "Try it at least..."

Would that work? Hairiyu didn't really know how moving souls and wishing back people worked...

"That's it!" Bulma grinned. "That's a great idea Vegeta! You're brilliant!"

Hairiyu smiled. So her dad had been the one to come through with an answer. Maybe it wasn't just her mama who was smart!

Gohan walked over to Vegeta whilst Bulma explained the plan to Kaio and the others. Hairiyu watched Gohan keeping her mother's voice heard. She flinched a little when Vegeta slapped Gohan's outstretched hand! Had that really been necessary? Gohan wandered back over to her and her mother looking back at Vegeta.

"What did you do to make him slap your hand?" Hairiyu asked curiously.

"I thanked him," Gohan muttered, pouting slightly that his sign of gratitude had ended up with his hand stinging!

"At least it was only a slap, it could have been worse," Hairiyu giggled. "It's weird he didn't want you to thank him though."

"Excuse me, person of Earth..."

Hairiyu looked around; Muri – the newly appointed Great Elder – had approached her mother. She wondered what he wanted.

"We plan to find a suitable planet in order to live on but it'll take some time," Muri explained. "Do you know of a place we could stay until that time comes?"

"Sure, you can stay at my place!" Bulma nodded.

Hairiyu gawked, eyes wide as they looked up at her mother. _'Is our house big enough? There's a lot of Namekians here!'_

"We mustn't impose..." Muri mumbled awkwardly.

"Hey, it's no big deal! My dad's complex is huge – you'll all be able to live comfortably there!" Bulma replied. "Besides we're gonna need your Dragonballs soon anyway. If you stayed anywhere else you'd cause quite a fuss! Most people on this planet aren't used to seeing aliens and will probably be hounding you guys. You're better off staying at my place."

"I see your point!" Muri perked up. "... Alright, we accept your kind invitation."

"Hey, that means you get to stay around my house Dende!" Hairiyu smiled. "I'll show you all my toys! My grandpa's got lots of pets at home and you can meet them all!"

"Pets?" Dende asked confused.

"Hey, what about you?"

Hairiyu looked back at her mother; she was talking to Vegeta. Hairiyu wondered how this would go. She'd never seen her parents have a civilised conversation so far; would it get horrible and mean again?

"You're gonna need a place to crash too, right?" Bulma smirked. "Why don't you come along with us?"

Vegeta didn't answer; he turned away with a grunt.

Was her mother really inviting her father to stay... with them? Would that make them a proper family? Hairiyu began to feel eager and anxious. If her father lived with them it would be the most amazing thing ever! She'd always resented all the other children she knew because their mothers and fathers lived together. Why was she the only one whose parents didn't live together? She wanted this more than anything so the other kids wouldn't be mean to her about it. She wanted to know her dad more!

"Why don't you drop the arrogant tough-guy attitude?" Bulma rolled her eyes. "You don't have any money to stay at a hotel! At our place we've got plenty of food – I bet you eat a lot just like Goku does!"

"... Please?" Hairiyu asked.

"See, you're more than welcome!" Bulma grinned smug. "Just don't do anything naughty – I know I'm hard to resist!"

Hairiyu had no idea what her mother meant by this but her father's reaction baffled and amazed her. Was he embarrassed? Why? Was he going to beat her mama up? Hairiyu would never let him get away with it and would do anything to stop that from happening! Still something told her she'd missed what her mother was actually suggesting...

"Alright! It's settled!" Bulma smiled. "I'm gonna give my dad a call and tell him to pick us all up!"

"... Um... Bulma? Can I stay with you guys too? Just for a little while?" Gohan asked.  
Hairiyu's head spun eagerly; today was the best day in her whole life! "Yay! I get to play with all of my friends! I'll show you all my toys and my room and we can play all day!"

"Hold on a minute Hairiyu," Bulma seemed a little unsure, "Gohan, you should go back to your mother instead. I'm sure she's worried sick about you by now!"

"... I forgot to do my homework..." Gohan mumbled sheepishly. "She'll yell at me..."

"Oh... your homework got blown up when the ship got attacked." Hairiyu frowned. "I hope she doesn't tell you off much..."

-

It took almost an hour before Dr Brief arrived with the hugest plane Hairiyu'd ever seen! It reminded her of a really big, fat whale! What amazed her even more was that everyone managed to fit on it!

No one had accounted for Chichi being on board! Her loud voice could be heard through the thick exterior walls of the ship. Hairiyu couldn't help but feel reminded of the last time Chichi had come after the battle against the Saiyans: she'd dashed out from the plane and decked Krillin away from her son!

"Gohan!" Chichi shrieked dashing out from the plane, the doors not fully opened! "GOHAN!"

Hairiyu noticed she couldn't see Gohan anywhere! Where had he gotten off to?

"Poor Chichi hasn't seen her son for over a month," Bulma mumbled, a hand resting on her daughter's head. "It'll be hard telling her that Goku's gone again... He'd only just been brought back over a month ago too..."

Hairiyu frowned. That hadn't even occured to her until her mother'd pointed it out.

"Come on, wanna help me get the Namekians onto your grandpa's ship?" Bulma put on a smile, trying to hide the emotions that had started to rise inside of her.

"Ok!" Hairiyu nodded.

It took almost an hour to get everyone acquainted and to bring Dr Brief and Chichi up to speed with what had happened. No one had quite mentioned about Goku's death just yet; the main priority was to get everyone back to Capsule Corp.

On board the ship Hairiyu had sat next to Gohan and Dende, now lost in her thoughts. She was going over what had happened over the days they'd spent on Namek and it wasn't too pleasant. She hadn't done as well as she'd hoped. Freeza had killed her; she'd been too weak. Krillin had died as had Dende and her father. Piccolo'd been brought back to life but injured. There'd been several occasions when Gohan and Krillin had gone into battle bravely and she'd been too terrified to move.

She hadn't changed.

The thought made her feel sad and ashamed. She had not achieved what she'd wanted to fighting-wise. She was still so scared of those stronger than her. She didn't want to get hurt; she feared being in pain. She didn't like seeing anyone else be hurt; it made her want to cry. As much as she'd want to help them, she'd found she was too concerned over her own well-being to jump in and help.

Maybe she wasn't right for fighting. Maybe there was nothing she could do about it. Maybe she shouldn't fight anymore...

"Hey, what's wrong? You look sad."

Hairiyu blinked and turned; both Gohan and Dende were looking at her.

"Oh, it's nothing..." Hairiyu gave a smile. "I'm ok."

She turned to lean over the back of the seat, looking at all the Namekians sat down behind her – in particular her eyes looked at her father. Although nervous she'd be spotted looking at him she wondered what he was thinking. Was he happy to be staying with her and her mother? She hoped so. It would be incredible if they could live happily together. She wondered why her mother had suddenly gone from being all hostile around him to being kind. It was weird but she wasn't complaining!

Hairiyu turned back around and looked ahead at her mother and grandpa; both sat at the front of the plane. She wondered how much longer it would be until they arrived home...

-

It hadn't changed since she'd left. Her home was still the tall building it had always been, surrounded immediately by the many gardens they had before the suburban tell-tale signs engorged the grassy ground, replacing it with concreted streets and tall steel buildings. It felt good to be back.

All of the Namekians seemed impressed at how big the building was!

"Wow... so this is really Capsule Corp?" Gohan mumbled in awe. "You were right – your house is the biggest house I've seen!"

Hairiyu blushed feeling rather proud! "I told you it was big! Why don't we go play until your mama wants to leave? We should have time!"

A flash of white made her blink startled; she turned to see her grandmother had appeared and was talking to her father! It looked so strange to see her grandmother talking to him; what's more her dad's expression was quite funny!

"...You should get a medal!" Her grandmother was saying. "You're a hero!"

Hairiyu couldn't help but smile. In a way her grandmother was right. Her dad had ended up fighting on their side. Surely that meant he was now a good guy?

"Who's that?" Gohan asked.

"That's my nana," Hairiyu smiled, waving towards the blonde haired woman. "Nana!"

Mrs Brief turned and spotted her granddaughter, squealing and rushing over. "There's my little granddaughter! Don't you look strong now? What unusual clothes you and this young boy have on! Did you get them from Namek?"

"No, we got them from my dad," Hairiyu shook her head. "He's the Saiyan you were talking to! Oh, this is Gohan!"

"Oh so you're Goku and Chichi's son!" Mrs Brief smiled. "I've always wanted to meet you! You look so handsome just like your father! Speaking of which, how are your mother and father? Oh we must have a get-together sometime and catch up!"

It definately felt good to be home.


	38. Chapter 037

**Chapter 037 - Porunga's Task**

Four months had passed since the group had come back from Namek. A Namekian year takes a lot shorter time than that on Earth, lasting one-hundred-and-thirty days, so naturally the Namekian Dragonballs were quickly restored. Once again a trio of wishes were able to be made...

The sky had darkened around West City and a large gathering of Namekians and humans were outside Capsule Corp. Hairiyu stood beside her mother excited to see the Namekian Dragon again. Gohan, Chichi, Master Roshi and some more of Bulma's childhood friends were also present, some of whom Hairiyu didn't recognise as she hadn't seen them for years. One was a pig apparently named Oolong, the other a floating blue cat named Puar! She knew her dad was around somewhere although she wasn't sure where.

Dende stepped forward and began to speak the Namekian password.

In a striking flash of light Porunga began to rise and fully emerged looking as tough as ever.

"Wow... the real Shenron is huge!" Bulma gawked in awe.

Hairiyu smiled upon seeing him; at least she knew the Namekian Dragonballs still worked! She had no idea really how the new Great Elder had suddenly become tied to the Dragonballs but it didn't really matter, as long as they worked!

"I can't believe it's true..." Dr Brief mumbled. "... To think you could really call forth a magical dragon that grants wishes!"

"Speak your first wish!" Porunga roared loudly.

Now that she thought of it, Hairiyu wasn't entirely sure on the wishes. She knew they had five people to wish back to life; who would be first? Plus the Namekians were meant to be moving to a new planet...

"We have a world of time," Muri spoke startling Hairiyu; had he read her mind? "Use all three wishes for your loved ones."

"Thank you Great Elder," Gohan smiled.

"Ok then, now who first?" Bulma pondered. "... Ok. Dende, tell the Dragon to summon the souls of Son Goku and Krillin who died on Namek."

Dende began to speak Namekian; Hairiyu listening intensely. She wondered how Dende could suddenly speak so fluently in another language and wished she could do it too!

"... I have summoned the soul of the one called Krillin..." Porunga declared. "However, I cannot summon the soul of Son Goku."

"What?" Bulma gasped.

"Why not?" Gohan asked anxious.

Why not indeed, Hairiyu thought. Had something gone wrong?

"I cannot summon the soul of someone who is alive," Porunga answered.

Hairiyu's jaw dropped in disbelief. Goku wasn't dead? He was alive! How? How had he survived Namek blowing up?

"... He's alive?" Gohan mumbled. "... Dad's alive!" He cried ecstatically, Chichi squealing out of joy. Hairiyu smiled and looked at the two of them, happy their family member was indeed alive.

"Hey, hold on a minute," Bulma mumbled, "If he's alive then why hasn't he come back?"

"... Maybe his ship's broken?" Gohan suggested.

"Then ask Porunga to summon him here," Muri smiled.

"That might work..." Hairiyu nodded.

"Alright Dende, our second wish is to bring Krillin back to life," Bulma decided.

Dende relayed the wish to Porunga once again in Namekian. The dragon's eyes flashed red.

In a sudden blur of colour, Krillin stood before the others looking incredibly confused! "Wh... What the...?"

Hairiyu grinned and cheered alongside her mother and Gohan, the majority of the large crowd just clapping.

"I'm really alive again?" Krillin spluttered.

"Thanks to the Namekian Dragonballs," Bulma nodded. "Ok Dende! Our third and final wish is to bring Son Goku here!"

"What's going on?" Krillin asked Hairiyu whilst Dende spoke the wish.

"Goku beat Freeza," Hairiyu answered. "Planet Namek got blown up during the fight and we thought Goku died but he didn't! Now we're wishing him here because we think his spaceship broke!"

"He refuses," Porunga's loud voice cut into the conversation. Everyone seemed shocked. Hairiyu looked up clueless; who refused to do what?

"He says he shall return by himself!"

"Dad's choosing not to come home?" Gohan asked shocked. "... Why?"

"I know why!"

Hairiyu turned around to look at Master Roshi; was there something he'd been hiding from them all?

"He's too scared to come home to the one thing stronger than a Super Saiyan!" Master Roshi cried. "His wife!"

"WHAT?"

Hairiyu flinched and nervously looked at Chichi; where had she gotten that sword from? This had just reinforced the idea that Chichi was a terrifying woman who Hairiyu did not want to make angry! She felt bad for Gohan having to live with her!

"It was just a joke..." Master Roshi added quickly.

There was a sudden and violent shudder of the ground, the sounds of something big and powerful roaring through the surrounding area. Hairiyu turned around to see what looked like one of her grandpa's custom-built spaceships take off! It vanished into the dark skies.

"Was that your spaceship dear?" Her nana asked her grandpa.

"... It was..." Dr Brief mumbled.

Hairiyu had a feeling she knew who was on that ship and frowned. She wondered when he would be coming back... if he was coming back!

"I don't understand why dad wouldn't want to come home..." Gohan seemed saddened by this.

"Let him be," Piccolo interrupted. "If he says he'll come back on his own then let him. We might as well bring someone from Kaio's back to life."

Hairiyu'd almost forgotten about the others who'd died against the Saiyans!

"Yeah, I guess we should, but which one should we bring back first?" Bulma asked.

"It feels bad that we're still leaving two to stay dead for a little longer..." Hairiyu mumbled. "I wish we could bring them all back with a single wish!"

_"Hey you guys!"_

Hairiyu blinked in surprise, startled by the sudden appearance of Kaio's voice!

"Kaio!" Gohan smiled.

_"I've asked the guys which one of them should be wished back with your third wish and Yamcha was picked,"_ Kaio relayed.

"Yamcha huh?" Bulma smiled. "Ok then Dende, our final wish is to bring Yamcha back to life!"

Dende spoke the wish in Namekian and Porunga's eyes flashed red.

"There, your final wish has been granted!" Porunga roared.

Hairiyu glanced around, surprised when she realised she couldn't see Yamcha standing amongst them. She could sense him so he definately was alive!

"W-What? I can't see him anywhere!" Bulma cried.

Porunga vanished in a flash of light- the Namekian Dragonballs rose up into the air. Muri stepped forwards, holding out one hand. With a loud bellow the Dragonballs suddenly turned to stone and crashed down before them. Hairiyu wondered why he'd done it.

"... There," Muri smiled, "Now we won't have to search for them in four months time."

"H-Hold on!" Bulma stuttered. "I can't see Yamcha anywhere! The Dragon must have short-changed us!"

Hairiyu felt bad for both her mother and Yamcha, although she felt a little resentment towards the former bandit. As nice as he was, she didn't really like the idea that her mother had feelings for him and not her father. Yamcha wasn't her dad and she felt perhaps he was getting in the way of her mama and dad being together and them living as a happy family!

Who was she fooling? She'd never get a family like that...

"Don't worry, he didn't short-change anyone."

That was Yamcha's voice! He appeared from the back of the crowd soaking wet!

The look on her mother's face said it all; Hairiyu could tell she still liked Yamcha. As much as she resented her parents not being together and wished she had a normal family like all the other kids she knew, she was glad her mother had someone who made her happy. Surely that was better than being forced to be with someone who killed people?

"Well, we have another four months before the Dragonballs can be used again," Dende smiled.

"Yeah," Gohan nodded. "I hope my dad gets back before then so he can see us wish back Tenshinhan and Chaozu."

"Yeah," Hairiyu agreed.

-

Another four months quickly passed. During that time, both Gohan and Hairiyu had their sixth birthdays and grew one year older.

Goku still hadn't returned.

Porunga had once again been summoned and again a large crowd of people had turned up outside the main Capsule Corp building.

"Sorry we're late!" Gohan called as he and Chichi ran towards the others.

"What took you so long?" Krillin smiled. "Hey, your hair's even longer than before!"

"Mother made me finish my homework before we could leave," Gohan answered.

"Homework is important, especially in today's competitive world!" Chichi folded her arms. "If you wanna go far in life then you have to study hard!"

"Oh, any news about your dad?" Hairiyu asked.

Gohan shook his head.

"Ok Dende," Bulma smiled. "Everyone's here. Our first wish is to bring Chaozu back to life!"

Dende looked up towards the Dragon and began to speak in Namekian.

"Your wish is granted," Porunga's eyes flashed red.

In a flash of blurry colours Chaozu suddenly stood before the crowd.

"Welcome back Chaozu," Krillin grinned.

"Whoa... I'm alive?" Chaozu blinked in disbelief.

"Our second wish is to bring Tenshinhan back to life," Bulma smiled.

Chaozu looked up at the Dragon, seemingly startled by his huge size and bulk. Dende spoke to the Dragon once again...

Tenshinhan suddenly appeared! Chaozu jumped up and hugged him, Hairiyu clapping along with everyone else. Now everyone had been restored back to life!

"Well, everyone has been brought back," Muri stepped forwards. "The time has come for us to depart. I've located us a new planet where I believe we Namekians can live in peace."

Hairiyu's head whizzed around in urgency. She'd forgotten the Namekians had agreed to stay temporarily. So they'd managed to find a new planet?

"On behalf of all of us, we much appreciate the hospitality and kindness you have given us," Muri bowed.

"Hey, it was nothing; it was the least I could do for you guys letting us use your Dragonballs," Bulma smiled.

"So you're leaving now?" Gohan asked.

"I'm afraid so," Muri nodded. "Dende, you know the wish."

"Y-Yes Great Elder..." Dende nodded looking a little sad. "... Gohan, Krillin, Hairiyu... I'll miss you all a lot. I'll never forget you!"

Hairiyu felt sad and could feel herself beginning to well up. She didn't want Dende to leave but she knew he had to.

"We'll miss you too," Gohan sniffed.

Dende turned and began to speak in Namekian, Hairiyu wishing this didn't have to happen.

"It shall be done..." Porunga's eyes flashed red.

One by one the Namekians began to vanish before her eyes, Hairiyu feeling a tear roll down her cheek.

"Goodbye..." Dende waved as he slowly disappeared.

It was heart-breaking. Since he'd started living in her house, Hairiyu'd become closer friends with Dende. It had taken him a while to get used to how different life on Earth could be but she was sure he liked it. She'd shared all her toys with him just like she said she would. He'd healed her on a number of occasions during her training with Piccolo. Now he was gone...

The Namekian Dragonballs shot up high into the sky and off into space...

-

Almost another year passed. April of the following year was a big step in a couple of children's lives, although only one of them would take part in it, whether she wanted to or not!

"You're making me go to school?" Hairiyu gasped horrified. "What about my training with Mr Piccolo? You said I could be taught at home!"

"I know," Bulma nodded calmly, "I think public schooling would be better for you! You get to meet lots of new kids and make lots of new friends! It'll be fun!"

"What about training? I'm training with Piccolo," Hairiyu protested. "I don't wanna go to school!"

"Look, as of late you've been making excuses about not training!" Bulma's voice was now sterner. "It's the law; every child has to go to school when they're your age!"

Hairiyu pouted in annoyance. "... Gohan doesn't go to school..." She muttered quietly.

"Gohan doesn't have a school near his home," Bulma answered. "Trust me kid, you'll love school!"

Hairiyu shook her head, "No I won't..." she mumbled.

"Look there's nothing else to say about this honey, you've gotta go to school," Bulma sighed. "Just make sure that whatever you do, you don't show the other kids how strong you are!"

-

Hairiyu stood outside the large gates of the building, her backpack securely in her grasp. Her stomach was trying to tie itself in knots. She wondered whether it was worth running away or flying off but knew her mother would be cross if she did run away.

The building didn't look as big as her home but there were lots of children walking around! Nervously she looked around at her surroundings; she had no idea where she was meant to be going...

So this was West City First Elementary.

"Hi, are you one of our new students?"

A brunette woman had approached her; Hairiyu wasn't sure if she was a teacher or not.

"If you would just like to walk into the building and turn left until you reach the big set of doors; we're welcoming new students to our school in the main hall," the lady smiled.

Without a word Hairiyu walked towards the building. She didn't really want to be here; she'd had to wake up so early this morning too! She hated school!

-

The welcoming assembly had been quite daunting. There were a lot of children packed into the hall; Hairiyu suddenly felt insignificant and alone. None of these children had any fighting potential; all of their ki levels were tiny! They'd all been led to a large board and asked to find where their names were and what class they were in. Hairiyu spotted her name written under class 1-B.

"Hey, I can see my name!" One girl smiled.

"Me too!" Another squealed. "We're in the same class!"

"I hoped we would be!" The first girl beamed.

Hairiyu watched as the two girls walked over towards one of the members of staff, feeling sadder and more alone now. She didn't know anyone here and wished Gohan was here too.

She found her way to her own class thanks to a member of staff and took a seat beside the window. Her classroom was slowly packed with other children, all seemingly oblivious to her being there. Hairiyu didn't mind much, she found it more interesting to look out the window at the playground. She knew really she should be outside somewhere with Piccolo training...

"Hi."

Hairiyu turned around, surprised to see a girl standing in front of her desk. She had brown hair up in pony tails and green eyes. "What's your name?" She asked. "My name's Kana!"

"... I'm Hairiyu," Hairiyu mumbled.

"Eh? That's a strange name..." Kana raised an eyebrow. "I've not heard that name before! Is it foreign?"

"Um... I don't know..." Hairiyu looked down at her desk. She'd always known her name was unusual but she wasn't sure she liked the reaction she was getting right now!

"You're shy!" Kana giggled. "It's ok though, I used to be shy too! I'm gonna sit in the seat next to yours! Hey, do you have any friends here?"

"No, I don't know anyone here..." Hairiyu shook her head.

"Ok, we can be friends then!" Kana decided. "I know a couple of people but they're in different classes! I'll show them to you!"


	39. Chapter 038

**Chapter 038 - The Terrifying Return**

Having to come to terms with the sudden change in her daily regiment, Hairiyu found herself amongst a small swarm of children the same age as her all trying to pack themselves into one room. She was thankful she'd been one of the first to enter her classroom as now the doorway was become congested with excited, loud children swarming around the room like flies! Trying her best not to get into too much of a conversation with Kana who'd thankfully now started talking to other people, Hairiyu glanced out the window watching the city outside.

She wondered if Piccolo would scold her for having to go to school. Her training would definitely suffer for this!

It turned out that the woman who'd approached Hairiyu in the playground was in fact her homeroom teacher! The lady strolled into the classroom, almost indifferent to the energetic children chatting loudly and running around.

"Well good morning to you all!" Her voice was loud, clear and amazingly cut through the muffled chatter of the other children, who'd almost instantly quietened down! Hairiyu was impressed!

"I am Miss Abacus and I shall be the homeroom teacher of class 1-B," the lady smiled, spelling her name out on the board in front of the class. "Now in order to get to know one another, we're going to go around the class. Each one of you will stand up, tell us your name and a little bit about yourself. We'll start from the front of the row closest to the door."

Hairiyu watched as one by one, each child stood up and introduced themselves. Slowly the turn moved across the classroom.

"Hi, my name is Kana!" Kana smiled standing up. "I have one older sister who is in the sixth grade and my mummy and daddy work as doctors! I hope to make as many friends as possible!" She sat back down again and grinned at Hairiyu. "That was fun!" She whispered.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Miss Abacus cut in with a smile, though her voice commanded authority rather than encouragement. The comment left Kana with her hands across her mouth and a reddening face, the rest of the class not sure whether or not to giggle or remain dead silent!

It wasn't long until it was Hairiyu's turn. She stood up, heart pounding as all eyes fell on her. "Um... My name is Hairiyu Brief. I don't have any brothers or sisters and my mama and grandpa run Capsule Corporation..." With that she hurriedly sat down.

The class had gone silent, much to her discomfort. What was going on? Had she said something strange?

"... I didn't realise we had such a prestigious person here!" Miss Abacus exclaimed. "... Well, thank you very much Miss Brief. Next student please."

Hairiyu didn't look up; she could feel her cheeks reddening. She had no idea what prestigious meant but she had a feeling a lot of the children were now talking about her!

-

"I didn't know your mama worked at Capsule Corp!" Kana cried in awe once homeroom had ended, the children waiting for their teacher to arrive so their next lesson could start. "So you live in that huge yellow building? Wow... your house is big! It's the biggest I've ever seen!"

Hairiyu nodded, not really wanting to say much about her home or her family. Was it that much of a shock to people?

"Wow... I know someone famous!" Kana squealed.

Hairiyu looked up for the first time surprised. "Famous?" She knew her grandpa's company was very big in the world but she'd never considered that her family were famous people.

"Yeah, of course!" Kana nodded enthusiastically. "Everyone I know knows about Capsule Corporation! People say that your grandpa made a really huge monster thing recently! What was it? It was huge and green! The sky went dark when it appeared; it scared my mummy and my sister but I thought it was cool!"

Hairiyu gasped horrified realising Kana was referring to Porunga! She had to think of something to say!

"Um... well... Uh... It was just an experiment my grandpa did... I think... I don't know what he does." She spluttered quietly.

"Wow... I wish I could become an inventor and make big scary monster-things!" Kana grinned. "Wow..."

"Alright class," Another teacher had walked into the room. "I know it's all exciting with it being your first day at school but we have a task for you all today! During this time you will be doing what we call maths. I am Mrs. Metric."

-

Break time soon came and all the children were sent outside. The playground was quickly invaded by a large crowd of energetic, excitable children, around one-hundred-and-fifty children now occupying the concrete site!

Kana had decided to drag Hairiyu to meet her other friends, quickly spotting them. "Everyone, this is Hairiyu Brief; she's in my class and is now gonna be our new friend!"

"Um... Hello..." Hairiyu waved awkwardly, two sets of eyes now looking at her.

"This is Pen," Kana pointed to the blonde girl, "and this is Keisu," she then pointed to the dark-haired girl. "They're the friends I was talking about earlier!"

"Hello," Keisu smiled.

"Nice to meet you," Pen nodded. "Your name's weird! I've never heard it before... Haiyuri?"

"Hairiyu," Hairiyu corrected her.

"Hey guess what?" Kana grinned. "Her mummy and grandpa run Capsule Corp!"

"What? Really?" Keisu gasped. "My papa works there too!"

"Wow, your family must have lots of money!" Pen cried. "Do you have a lot of toys? How many rooms does your house have?"

"Um... I guess I do," Hairiyu slowly nodded, once again feeling awkward, "I don't know how many rooms we have; there are lots!"

"Wow, I wish I was you!" Pen sighed. "Hey, we should come around your house! That way we can see how big it is inside!"

Hairiyu frowned feeling herself blushing again. Everyone seemed to be so interested in what her family did. Why was it so important? No one else's families seemed to be getting the same attention!

Thankfully after lunchtime, the children were free to go home, although there were club activities recruiting. Hairiyu managed to escape without being spotted and ran all the way home, albeit slow enough to look like she was an average child running rather than at the speed she knew she was capable of. Her mother had repeatedly told her last night not to show anyone what she was able to do and to try and blend in!

Finally the large yellow building lay in front of her, separated from her only by the large green lawn. Hairiyu felt so relieved to be able to relax for the afternoon after the eventful morning she'd just had! Perhaps she should go and find Piccolo and train with him...?

Something caught her ear.

Hairiyu looked up into the sky; she could hear something high-pitched...

The ground suddenly shuddered violently, knocking her off her feet as something crashed! Frantically she dashed around the side of the house anxious to find out what had happened.

She was surprised to see what had landed.

It was one of her grandpa's ships!

"Hey, don't get too close to that!"

Hairiyu jerked like a cat and looked to see who'd shouted out. Yamcha rushed past her and stopped between her and the ship, putting his guard up. Hairiyu did the same and watched as the ship door opened. She noticed in the corner of her eye that her nana and mama had also appeared.

Out stepped Vegeta. He took a couple of steps down the ramp before turning around to look at the small group that had gathered.

"Vegeta, what do you want?" Yamcha demanded, Puar latching onto his shoulder. Although he was acting all tough Hairiyu could tell he was a little nervous standing off against her dad. He couldn't really blame him for that!

"... I see Kakarrot hasn't returned..." Vegeta muttered.

"What? You didn't find him in space?" Yamcha seemed taken back; guard suddenly back up as Vegeta leapt off the ship, landing inches from him.

"Don't remind me, I'm angry enough to hurt someone and pounding you might just be the therapy I need!" Vegeta spat.

Hairiyu could feel the tension between the two men and gulped, a little worried for Yamcha's safety.

"Hey guys, what's that awful smell?" Bulma walked forwards much to Hairiyu's surprise, poking her dad in the chest with a finger. "Oh, it's you! When was the last time you bathed? You need a bath!"

What was her mother doing? Hairiyu'd never seen her act like this before and grew worried; she hoped her father wouldn't try to hurt her!

"Please, this way," Bulma pointed turning on her heels and starting to walk towards the building.

To Hairiyu's awe Vegeta hadn't gone to attack her; instead he just stared through her. She felt just as surprised as Yamcha!

Bulma glanced back over her shoulder. "Well, what? Do you want me to roll out the red carpet or something? It's rude to keep a lady waiting!"

"What?" Vegeta snapped. Now Hairiyu could sense his bloodlust! Again to her amazement it vanished as soon as it had appeared and with a little grunt, Vegeta began to follow her mother.

"... Unreal..." Yamcha mumbled stunned.

"Bulma's got him at her mercy..." Puar added.

"Would anyone like any tea?" Mrs Brief asked, not realising her cups were overflowing!

Hairiyu slowly walked in after her parents, disappearing into her own room to drop her school bag off. By the time she'd come back out, she found Krillin, Yamcha and Puar sitting out on the balcony outside of the living room, her mother hovering between the living room and hallway.

"Here I thought it was Goku getting back," Krillin mumbled sitting back in his seat. "So it was Vegeta instead? Wow, he's so unpredictable! It's hard to tell what his motive is!" One eye noticed the small girl appear and he gave a small smile and nod, Hairiyu returning the smile.

"I think he just wants to find Goku," Yamcha replied as she sat herself down on an empty chair. "The poor guy, he's obsessed!"

"He's used to getting what he wants; that's all!" Bulma mused, appearing through the opened door. "He's like a spoilt little kid!"

"Sounds like you!" Yamcha joked.

Hairiyu looked at him annoyed; that wasn't a nice thing for him to have said!

"I don't suppose he's ever worn clothes like ours..." Bulma mumbled.

"Oi, servant-woman!"

Hairiyu turned her angry look down the hallway through the living room. She didn't like how he was talking to her mother – it was bad manners to address someone with 'oi'! He was a guest here; he should be polite!

"Bring me a drying cloth at once!"

Bulma didn't move; Hairiyu could see her glaring angrily down the hall and recoiled away slightly. She knew that look. That look meant it was time to stop doing whatever it was she shouldn't be doing and listen to her mother!

"... Woman! Can you hear me?"

"I hear you but my name is Bulma and I am not your servant so say please!" Bulma snapped.

An annoyed grunt came from the other end of the bathroom door. "Forget the stupid drying cloth then!"

"Suit yourself, drip dry you jerk!" Bulma turned back around finally noticing her daughter was present. "Oh, Hairiyu! How did your first day at school go?"

"Huh? You started school today?" Krillin asked.

"Yeah. It was alright..." Hairiyu mumbled. "A lot of the kids were asking me about Capsule Corp."

"Yeah, you'll get a lot of that," Bulma nodded. "Still, I told you it would be fun!"

"Woman! What have you done with my clothes?"

Bulma glared back over her shoulder. "They were dirty so I put them in the wash! There's a spare set of clothes in there for you!"

"... You expect me, the Prince, to wear clothes like these? They're pink!" Vegeta spat from the other side of the door.

"Well then, how about coming out naked?" Bulma answered with a playful smirk. "Besides, it's the style here!" She winked.

Apparently this comment made Krillin and Yamcha laugh. Hairiyu found it embarrassing for her mother to even suggest such a thing and flinched away mortified. She hoped her father would put some clothes on!

"This is ridiculous!"

Hairiyu looked around, spotting her father. The sight made her struggle not to laugh; at the same time she feared for her mother's life.

"I'm a warrior, not a variety of flower!" Vegeta spat, fists shaking. He'd been given a pink shirt and yellow pants; Hairiyu'd never seen him wearing colours like that... heck, she'd never seen him wearing human clothes!

"Well you smell good and those clothes..." Bulma smirked. "... They suit you better than I thought!" She burst out laughing. Hairiyu couldn't contain it anymore; she burst into fits of laughter along with Krillin and Yamcha!

"Don't laugh!" Vegeta bellowed. "If you value your lives, don't laugh!"

Everyone stopped; Hairiyu putting her hands over her mouth in a bid to stop herself.

"... Until Goku gets here, why not stay here?" Bulma suggested.

Hairiyu's eyes darted over to her mother, was she serious? Her hopes skyrocketed up; she hoped desperately that he'd say yes!

Vegeta grunted and looked away.

"That's a very brave front but I bet you don't have any money to stay in a hotel," Bulma smiled. "If you stay here you'll be one of the first to know when Goku gets back!"

This seemed to interest her dad.

"... I'll go get you a room set up, follow me," Bulma walked past the Saiyan and into the house, Vegeta seemed to reluctantly follow.

No one spoke for a while.

"... Am I missing something here?" Krillin asked.

-

Another month passed by. Hairiyu'd grown used to being at school during the mornings and training during the afternoons.

Her last lesson of the day had just ended and lunch was about to start. She, Kana and a boy called Soba were talking in their classroom.

"I don't like maths! It's boring!" Kana groaned. "Why'd we have to do it?"

"It's important," Hairiyu replied.

"My dad said maths is a really important; he uses it lots in his job!" Soba added. "I like maths!"

"Really? You're weird, Soba!" Kana giggled.

"No I'm not..." Soba pouted.

Hairiyu giggled alongside Kana, though abruptly stopped. The conversation was then lost on her as she'd stopped listening. Something alarmingly dangerous had caught her attention.

She could feel something was approaching Earth.

She had no idea how close or far it was from the planet but the power she sensed... It was gigantic... What was worst was she felt she recognised it.

It couldn't be!

"Hey, what's your favourite lesson Hairiyu?" Kana asked.

"... I've gotta go home..." Hairiyu mumbled, rising off her seat and rushing out towards the door.

"Hey, you're not allowed to go home yet! It's lunchtime!" Kana called, though it fell on deaf ears.

Hairiyu rushed down the corridors and out the front doors into the playground. She looked up; there were two other energy signals moving near to her. Her eyes quickly spotted them; her dad and Yamcha were flying overhead.

"H-Hey, wait up!" She cried, taking off into the sky after the two grown-ups, paying little concern to anyone who may have spotted her! There were far more important matters at hand! She flew as fast as she could yet she could barely keep up with them! "H-Hey! Guys!"

Thankfully Yamcha turned around and realised she was behind them, slowing down enough for Hairiyu to catch up to him. "Hey, I thought you were supposed to be in school?" He mumbled. "You sensed it too, huh?"

"Yeah, it's Freeza!" Hairiyu nodded, slightly breathless.

"Vegeta said the same thing," Yamcha frowned. "... Well he's closing in fast and I think he's got company!"

Hairiyu could sense Freeza's power but she hadn't noticed the other one until Yamcha'd pointed it out! It felt like her entire body went cold – the other person's power level was just as strong, maybe stronger! This was terrible. No one on Earth stood a chance against one of these ki, let alone both of them!

It wasn't long before Vegeta descended down towards the ground; Yamcha and Hairiyu following him.

Hairiyu took in the scenery. The area was very dusty and rocky, there was little greenery around save a couple of trees. It reminded her a little of the place Goku and Vegeta had fought almost two years ago. It would be difficult for a ship to land safely because of how uneven and craggy the ground was.

"They should be landing around here soon," Vegeta muttered.

"How do you know?" Yamcha asked sounding a little suspicious; Hairiyu was guessing he didn't really trust her father and she couldn't blame him. Yamcha'd never had to battle alongside Vegeta and Hairiyu felt that her experiences on Namek had given her a little more security knowing when her father was right – and he was usually right!

"I make it my business to know!" Vegeta spat annoyed.

Hairiyu looked back and forth between the adults sensing the annoyance; the sound of jet engines caught her ear and she looked over into the noise's general direction. She could see what looked like a small hover-vehicle heading for them. She almost double took when she realised who it was! Was she crazy?

"Hello!" Bulma waved peering out of her hover-jet, "Hey Vegeta, Yamcha, Hairiyu; I'm coming into land!"

"Bulma?" Yamcha stammered startled; he looked a little cross. "That idiot!"

"My mama's not an idiot..." Hairiyu growled under breath to herself; she wasn't going to argue with the adults. Her mother wasn't exactly being smart right now.

The hover-jet landed and Puar floated out towards Yamcha, Bulma jumping out of the jet.

"What are you guys doing here?" Yamcha demanded loudly. "Don't you know how dangerous it is?"

"We came to see Freeza," Bulma answered confidently, placing her fists on her hips. "I spent all that time on Namek and I didn't even get to see him!"

"You wanted to see him?" Hairiyu repeated.

Bulma looked down seemingly surprised, "Weren't you meant to be in school? I hope you didn't skip out on any lessons!"

"No, it was lunchtime..." Hairiyu frowned, "I'm sorry! Am I in trouble?"

"Bulma! You came here just to see Freeza?" Yamcha changed the subject back, looking even angrier with her than before. "This place is too dangerous for you! You should have stayed somewhere safe!"

"Oh so what if I came?" Bulma snorted, "This is Freeza we're talking about – he could just blow up the entire planet with barely any effort; there are no safe places on Earth anymore! It wouldn't matter where I am... So I figured I might as well know what my death looks like."

"Mama..." Hairiyu didn't like hearing her mama say such things but she had to admit she did admire her calmness about the whole situation.

"Besides, I'd rather be with my daughter if the world's gonna end," Bulma added.

"... You're nuts as always," Yamcha sighed with a smile.


	40. Chapter 039

**Chapter 039 - Mysterious Ki**

The sound of feet slapping the ground had caught the group's attention. Hairiyu turned to see a couple of familiar faces arrive alongside them.

"Tenshinhan and Chaozu!" Yamcha greeted the duo. Hairiyu noticed both the fighter's ki had changed and was now a lot higher than when they'd wished them back to life. It made her smile to know there were other fighters still training.

A small gasp came from Chaozu's throat as both he and Tenshinhan noticed the short Saiyan standing amongst their friends.

"Vegeta..." Tenshinhan muttered annoyed, "I didn't realise you was still on Earth!"

"Got something to say?" Vegeta smirked.

Hairiyu gulped, she could sense the tension between the fighters was rising once again. Why did her father always have to be at the centre of it?

"There are plenty of things I'd like to say!" Tenshinhan snarled. "I still haven't forgotten what happened the last time we met... You disgust me! I don't know how Yamcha can stomach living with you!"

"Weakling," Vegeta jeered.

"What?" Tenshinhan took a step forward clenching his fists.

"C-Come on you guys, now's not the time to fight!" Yamcha intervened much to Hairiyu's relief. She didn't want a fight to break out between people she considered to be on the same side. She knew it would be hard for the others to accept her dad but she'd done it; Gohan, Krillin and Goku had done it. Surely everyone else could give him a chance?

Vegeta gave a devious smile and turned away. Silence fell upon the group for a brief moment.

"We're in a mess," Tenshinhan mumbled quietly, "It's Freeza isn't it?"

"Yeah," Yamcha nodded. "Both Vegeta and Hairiyu confirmed it."

"... To think you had to fight such a monster," Tenshinhan looked down on Hairiyu who just frowned and looked down at her feet.

"Be quiet!" Vegeta spat. "Suppress your powers before you small-talk you idiots! I'd rather Freeza and his men didn't detect us on their scouters!"

_'There's no need to shout at us!'_ Hairiyu flinched at her father's loud voice.

"... The Namekian's done it already," Vegeta added, "Now there's a warrior!"

Hairiyu blinked surprised and looked around, gasping when she spotted Piccolo standing a little ways away from them with his back turned.

"Piccolo, when did you get here?" Yamcha asked.

"Long enough to hear your ridiculous arguing," Piccolo muttered, eyes turning immediately to Hairiyu who was making her way towards him.

From that look Hairiyu now felt a little ashamed; she'd had to cut back on her training because of her schooling and Piccolo hadn't been happy with it! She'd felt nervous around him recently in case he was angry with her; it wasn't her fault she had to go to school!

"So kid, you feel like taking on Freeza again?" The mentor asked.

Hairiyu frowned and looked at the ground, "... To be honest no but I'll try. He's stronger than he was before, Mr Piccolo!"

"Yeah, he's a lot stronger," Piccolo nodded. "It's not looking good. The one man who was supposed to have beaten him isn't here and Freeza's now got someone else just as strong with him."

A couple of approaching power levels stopped the conversation as Krillin and Gohan touched down. Hairiyu walked back to join the group. The young half-Saiyan half-Earthling couldn't help but feel scared and anxious about the imminent fight. Piccolo was right; she thought Goku had beaten Freeza and thought Freeza would have died when Namek blew up. What had gone on while she'd been revived and sent to Earth? Maybe Gohan's dad wasn't as strong as she thought he was.

"So no sign of Goku?" She heard Yamcha ask.

Gohan shook his head; Hairiyu felt her heart sink a little further. She'd been afraid of that answer even if she'd already known it.

"THEY'RE HERE!" Piccolo cried.

A small dot emerged beneath the clouds. It grew larger rapidly as it grew closer, flying overhead and covering the stunned group with its gigantic and cold shadow. The wind had picked up, dust dragged along by the force of the ship's motors as it loomed over the desolate plains. It quickly passed them and landed behind a long wall of rock a couple of miles away.

It had only lasted a few seconds but it felt far longer. It was as if all the hope and courage had been sucked out of her the moment she'd seen their ship. Hairiyu's legs trembled; this was the man who'd killed her. She'd trained since then but it would make no difference. They would be lucky to survive this battle and she knew it, unless some miracle happened.

"T-There's no doubt about it..." Gohan growled, "It's Freeza – he survived!"

"Who's that with him?" Krillin demanded confused.

"Listen – Don't any of you fly!" Vegeta barked. "We're going to walk over there so they don't sense us with their scouters!"

Hairiyu nodded more to herself than her father; she had to prepare herself. It was now or never. She had to be brave and prove to herself she could go into battle without having her fear holding her back. She wanted to be able to fight!

"T-That's Freeza's ki?" Yamcha stammered. "He's that powerful?"

"This is nothing," Gohan replied, "he gets way stronger than this."

"You guys actually fought with a monster like that?" Tenshinhan seemed shaken up too. Hairiyu felt bad for those who hadn't fought Freeza before; at least she knew what she was up against.

"... You have got to be kidding," Yamcha chuckled nervously. "What good will it do to get closer to them? They're behemoths and there are two of them! It's hopeless!"

"What then?" Piccolo had appeared behind Yamcha. "Should we just lie down and die? It's no more hopeless than if we fight!"

Hairiyu listened to the adults talk, not really sure what to say so choosing to stay quiet. What was there to say? Yamcha was right; they were going to die. Piccolo also had a point; fighting was better than giving up... wasn't it?

"It's not only hopeless for us..." Vegeta smirked, "This is the end of Earth."

-

The gang had begun their walk towards where Freeza's ship had landed. Hairiyu walked alongside her mother and Yamcha, trying to keep herself calm on the outside. Her heart thumped inside her ribs, just sensing Freeza's power made her want to cry. She couldn't cry. She had to stay strong if she wanted to prove to herself she could stop herself freezing up.

Her father's words had made it all clear to them. This was indeed the end of Earth.

"I can't believe..." Yamcha mumbled, "... I was brought back to life only to be killed again..."

Hairiyu'd looked back and frowned; apparently it had taken a bit of a toll on Yamcha's confidence. From what she'd seen of him around the house, Yamcha was usually confident and pepped up about almost everything. Seeing him so drained and beaten down was a first!

The walk led them to the bottom of a large cliff. Hairiyu found she had the job of helping her mother climb the steep rocky face! Even if she was strong for her age, Hairiyu still found her mother was quite heavy and hard to push.

"Sorry about all this," Bulma apologised.

"It's ok," Hairiyu grunted managing to get her mother onto a small ledge. It wasn't that much further on to the top...

"... Vegeta's really rallied the troops, hasn't he?"

Hairiyu looked at her mother surprised she was even mentioning him! "I guess he is," she mumbled, "I don't think Yamcha and Tenshinhan trust him."

"Yeah, that's understandable considering it was by his hand they died at," Bulma nodded.

"They got killed by the other Saiyan," Hairiyu pouted annoyed and needing to set the facts straight, "Daddy only killed the other Saiyan and a green monster thing!"

"... I think it's because he was part of the other side rather than because he was the one who actually killed them," Bulma suggested. "It's tough but at times like these, we should appreciate the help we have, even if it is from a former enemy. I'm just impressed that Vegeta's seems so level-headed. Didn't Freeza kill him?"

Hairiyu frowned; just remembering that memory was still so painful to her. "... Yeah."

"Hmm... and yet he still shows little sign of being scared," Bulma mumbled more to herself than her daughter.

Hairiyu left her mother to her own thoughts as they finally reached the top of the cliff.  
She was about to speak again when something suddenly caught her attention.

It was a gigantic ki!

Who was it? Their power level was just as high as Freeza's! What was even more confusing was how it had just appeared out of nowhere! Hairiyu didn't recognise the ki at all...

It went without saying that everyone else had sensed it. What was even stranger was that several tiny energies near to Freeza had vanished! Hairiyu'd barely noticed them there until the moment they'd vanished.

"What is it?" Bulma asked, antsy about the look on her daughter's face. "What's wrong?"

"A huge ki just suddenly appeared," Krillin answered, "...and several small ki just suddenly disappeared!"

"What's going on...?" Yamcha was baffled.

"What's happening over that mountain?" Krillin mumbled. "It doesn't make any sense..."

Vegeta continued to walk forwards, Piccolo following and setting the others off behind him. Hairiyu followed the adults, catching up to Gohan. "This is weird, isn't it?" She asked in a hushed voice.

"I know," Gohan answered in an equally hushed voice, "I don't recognise that huge power – plus there's that other evil power with Freeza! I wonder who they all are..."

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded thoughtful. "... I wonder if that huge ki that just appeared is on the same side as Freeza or not. I wonder why all those small ki suddenly vanished. You don't think the big ki beat them all?"

"I'm not sure," Gohan shrugged his shoulders. "If so then I don't think they're with Freeza; why would they attack their own side?"

Hairiyu pondered this, "... Maybe they're like my daddy. He attacked his own side!"

"Hey you guys, try and keep the noise down," Krillin hushed the two children, "remember, we're trying not to be seen or heard."

The walk continued in silence. It wasn't too long before something kicked off.

The power she felt almost knocked her senses completely out of sync and all she could do was stare in awe. The mysterious person's ki had suddenly burst up to a higher, seemingly crushing power! It was now far higher than both Freeza and that other evil ki! The power increase had sent a tremendous shudder through the ground.

"What is this ki I'm sensing?" Krillin stuttered.

"It's ginormous!" Hairiyu choked, looking quickly to her father and then Piccolo. Both seemed speechless.

"What's happening?" Bulma cried falling to her knees unable to stand the shaking ground. "This is just what happened back on Planet Namek!"

"...It's my dad!" Gohan exclaimed, "That's the same ki he had that time he transformed!"

Hairiyu's glanced over to him. "Y-Your daddy?" She repeated. She had to admit she had been able to sense something quite similar to this on Namek just before she'd been teleported to Earth.

"A-Are you sure Gohan?" Krillin asked.

"I'm positive," Gohan nodded.

Several explosions suddenly rocked the ground further, a large cloud of dust rising over the other side of the mountain ridge.

"Whatever's going on over there sure is incredible..." Tenshinhan muttered in disbelief.

Hairiyu stayed silent as she saw flashes of colour scatter across the skies; the gang all standing unable to move, too mesmerised by the fight. The ground never seemed to stop shaking beneath her feet although this was lost on the small girl; she was too busy watching the endless plumes of dust rise into the air. Freeza was on the attack and this mysterious ki seemed to be countering everything he tried.

Another terrifying explosion covered the tops of the mountains in its outbreak of dust and dirt; by now Hairiyu could barely see anything beyond the immediate mountain range.

"Look!" Gohan cried pointing up.

Her eyes diverted to the skies, quickly spotting three figures whilst Krillin let out a cry of realisation. She didn't recognise any of them but knew one of them had to be him! One of them was Freeza. Her heart suddenly froze and dropped into her stomach as she realised one of them was the monster who'd killed her.

With one swoop one of the figures seemed to hit another with what looked like a sword. Almost simultaneously Freeza's ki plummeted. The mysterious' ki shot up as the attacker dealt several more swings of his sword cutting the other into several pieces before he fired off an energy attack. The blast completely wiped out whoever the victim had been... Frieza's ki vanished.

Hairiyu stared unable to even conjure up the thought of how shocked and amazed she was. It had been so easy.

"...That was Freeza!" Vegeta managed to spit out shocked.

"He cut Freeza into bits!" Krillin choked.

"What kind of eyes do you guys have?" Bulma seemed indifferent about what had happened. "How can you see so far? It's Goku right? He's just showed up in time and gotten really strong, right? He's saved the Earth again?"

"He's a Super Saiyan but he's not Goku," Yamcha shook his head.

Hairiyu couldn't convince her body to turn around and look at her mother; she was too lost in watching the mysterious ki as he approached the other figure. She didn't recognise him at all but noticed how similar he looked to Freeza when he'd made his first transformation. Maybe he was someone of the same race...

The sudden wind blasting in her face from Vegeta's take-off startled her and she began to pay attention to her immediate surroundings. Piccolo took off immediately after Vegeta, closely followed by Krillin. Not wanting to be left behind she took to the skies alongside Gohan pouting to herself. She was getting tired of having to continuously stop and start and on top of that, she had almost no idea of what was really happening! Who were these two mysterious fighters? If it was true one was a Super Saiyan then where had he come from? Her dad and several of the other Saiyans had said there had only been four surviving Saiyans – why was there this one other?

She had a much better view from up here. Yet as the gang finally flew over the mountain range, the guy who'd killed Freeza suddenly shot another beam through the other guy! It had looked as if the mysterious Freeza-lookalike had managed to grab the Super Saiyan's sword yet had failed to do what the Saiyan had done to Freeza. The taller monstrous man crashed into a rock face and landed heavily; his ki almost depleted. In another display of power the Super Saiyan ended him with another energy beam, destroying the monster before turning to blow up the ship with yet another energy attack.

The display had left many of the fighters hanging in mid-air, too wary to approach the area. They all watched as the dust slid to the side carried by the wind. The ship was gone, as were Freeza and his accomplice.

The Super Saiyan's appearance suddenly changed as his ki plummeted down to resting rate. Hairiyu noticed the mysterious man's hair was short and purple. He didn't look like any Saiyan she'd ever seen...

Her heart almost stopped when he turned in their direction; she was sure they'd all just been spotted! Would he come after them thinking they were with Freeza?

"Hey! I'm going to meet Son Goku now!" The man yelled. "Would you all like to come?"

"What?" Piccolo exclaimed shocked.

Hairiyu's jaw dropped in disbelief. How did this man know Gohan's dad? None of this made any sense to her!

"How does he know my dad?" Gohan mimicked her thoughts.

On closer inspection, it looked like the man was smiling. He pointed over to his right, "He'll be landing right over there! Follow me!"

With that he took off.

For a moment no one spoke. Hairiyu wasn't sure whether to listen to him or not. She was confused with all that had gone on. She didn't know this man and he was telling them to follow him? He'd taken down Freeza and that other guy, maybe he was on their side?

"...I'm going," Gohan declared.

"Hold on, we don't know anything about him," Krillin pointed out.

"Well if Gohan's going then I'll go too," Hairiyu gulped. She didn't want to let Gohan go by himself even if she was a little scared of this man's power!

"I'm going too," Tenshinhan agreed, "He knows Goku and he beat Freeza. I'm sure he can't be all that bad... and I'm curious."

The other adults seem to give their own verdict on the situation but Hairiyu knew she'd made her mind up.

"Let's go," Vegeta smiled, "We'll expose the truth about him."

Hairiyu smiled pleased her father had given the thumbs up and seemed just as eager to go. With that the group headed after the mysterious Super Saiyan.


	41. Chapter 040

**Chapter 040 - From Another Time**

The mysterious man didn't lead them very far away; within a couple of minutes he descended down to the ground. Amongst the crowd following, Hairiyu landed several feet away from him eyeing him up suspiciously.

On closer inspection this man appeared to be younger than she originally thought; he looked like a teenager rather than a grown-up, though he wasn't far off being a grown-up. His light purple hair was short and almost covered the tops of his eyes, separated down the middle. He wore a purple jacket and dark grey clothes underneath, his sword kept on his back. So that had been the weapon he'd used to defeat Freeza...

He suddenly reached into one of his jacket pockets, Hairiyu relieved to see him pulling out a capsule container. He selected a capsule and tossed it out. In a puff of smoke it transformed into whatever the capsule had contained. It looked like some kind of storage box.

"Watch it! He's pulled out something weird!" Yamcha warned from behind her.

Hairiyu watched as the teenager opened the door, spotting what looked like canned drinks inside.

"We have almost three hours until Goku arrives here," the boy smiled reaching to grab a can, "There are plenty of drinks inside here so please help yourselves."

"... I'll have some," Bulma smiled.

"Me too!" Gohan agreed.

Hairiyu willingly followed as her mother and Gohan looked at the selection of drinks. She peered through a small gap and looked at the different drinks. She didn't recognise some of them but spotted there was a lemon and lime soda and grabbed it.

"... Maybe I'll have some too," Krillin walked towards them.

"I'm starting to like this guy," Bulma smiled, "he has root beer!"

Hairiyu scrunched her face up in disgust; she'd tasted root beer before and thought it was gross! She couldn't believe her mama could drink that yucky stuff! Eager to forget the taste she opened her soda and took a big gulp, gasping for air as the carbonated drink made her eyes water!

"Hey, he's got grape in here," Krillin's voice trailed off as Hairiyu went to stand beside her mother; she was talking to the mystery man.

"Have we met before?" She was asking.

"Er... No," the teenager shook his head.

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow; she didn't recognise this guy at all! He seemed strange to her but he had given them drinks. "Thank you for the drink," she bowed.

"Oh, it's nothing," the teen replied glancing away from her. This confused Hairiyu even more. His behaviour was strange. She momentarily paid little mind to this and gulped down another mouthful of soda, her face souring as the carbon got to her eyes once more!

"How do you know my dad?" Gohan asked.

"I've never met him," the teen answered, "I've only heard about him."

"... Then how do you know he'll be here in three hours?" Bulma asked confused.

"Well..." the man seemed a little uncomfortable, "... Sorry, I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Vegeta barked over interrupting the conversation. "Who the hell are you? How did you get so much power?"

"... I'm sorry, I can't tell you that either." the man answered. He seemed uncomfortable but also a little saddened. His behaviour confused Hairiyu a lot. He was weird...

"You were a Super Saiyan when you defeated Freeza, weren't you?" Gohan asked.

"Yes, I was."

"So that's what a Super Saiyan looks like?" Hairiyu gaped in awe, turning to Gohan. "Wow... So your daddy looked like he did?"

"Lies!" Vegeta spat. "The only Saiyans still alive are myself, Kakarrot – the one known as Son Goku here – Kakarrot's half-breed son and my half-breed kid! There's no way you can be a Saiyan!"

Even if he was putting the man's identity in jeopardy, Hairiyu was overjoyed to hear her father actually refer to her as his kid! He'd never spoken about her like that before or ever even identified her as being his child so to hear it now was amazing!

"But we saw him turn into a Super Saiyan and beat Freeza..." Gohan pointed out.

"Didn't you know all Saiyans have black hair?" Vegeta muttered.

"... Hey," Bulma spoke up, "you've got the Capsule Corp logo on your jacket! Are you one of our employees?"

"N-No, not really..." the man answered with a smile.

"Is that a secret too?" Bulma playfully asked, "Can't you at least tell us your name or how old you are?"

"I can't tell you my name but I'm seventeen years old," he answered.

"Why can't you tell us your name?" Tenshinhan asked.

"There's no reason to hide it," Yamcha added. Neither of them seemed too happy with this man's answers.

"Hey, let's stop asking questions," Bulma butted in, "the guy's obviously too uncomfortable. He did save the Earth and all..."

Hairiyu smiled; her mama always seemed to be able to defuse situations such as these, unless of course she was the one creating them!

-

Things had gotten quiet. Everyone sat around the small clearing in the rocks, seemingly left to their own thoughts. Hairiyu sat on the edge of a small rock beside her mother and Krillin. She hated long periods of time like these especially when she had nothing to do but wait. The lack of conversation or entertainment magnified time and she'd quickly found herself growing bored. Now she wished she hadn't been at school and had grabbed something to play with. Even getting to read would have been more fun than this!

The sound of shuffling feet caught her ear and she nonchalantly glanced around, head cupped in her hands. Gohan had wandered over to Piccolo and she could just about hear what he was saying.

"... Piccolo, I've been wanting to ask you something," Gohan mumbled.

"What?" Piccolo grunted, back still to Gohan and the others.

"Why... why didn't you go with all the other Namekians?" Gohan asked. "They're your people."

It was a good point, one that Hairiyu herself had wondered but never asked. She felt like Piccolo would have told her it was none of her business and yelled at her!

"It's not much of a reason but I didn't want a peaceful, boring life," Piccolo answered. "Sometimes ties run deeper than where a person is from or the colour of their skin."

"So are you still fiercely training every day?" Gohan asked.

"Pretty much," Piccolo nodded.

Hairiyu frowned. Again she was now feeling bad for not training as often as before.

"Vegeta disappears every day," Bulma mumbled to Krillin, "he must be working out somewhere."

Her attention turned to her mother's conversation. Hairiyu'd knew her father was still staying with them but she barely saw him around the house. On most days he wouldn't even show his face.

"He probably still wants to beat Goku," Krillin replied. "He has so much pride. I hear he was the Saiyan Prince."

"Hey, don't those tow look alike?" Bulma asked discreetly nudging her head over towards whatever was ahead of her.

"Who?" Krillin raised a confused brow.

"Vegeta and that mysterious kid," Bulma replied. "Don't they sort of feel similar?"

Hairiyu glanced over to her father and the lavender-haired teen. What was her mama trying to say? She could see something was similar between them; they had similar eyes, albeit different colours. "... I thought most Saiyans had mean-looking eyes..." she mumbled, "... that guy doesn't look so mean. He looks like a nicer Saiyan!" She smiled.

"That's if he really is one; Vegeta doesn't seem to think so," Krillin answered. "I'm not so sure they feel similar to me; their personalities are totally different! That guy seems pretty calm and a little introverted where as Vegeta's aggressive, violent and agitated..."

There was no arguing there, Hairiyu agreed with what Krillin said! She continued to look over towards her father and the other guy, eyes falling a little more on the mysterious man. Something about him did feel strange to her. Hairiyu didn't really know why but he felt familiar to her, something about him made her feel happy. Was it because he defeated Freeza, or because he was supposedly a Saiyan? Hairiyu wasn't so sure that was it...

"What are you looking at?" Vegeta's outburst made Hairiyu jump back, almost certain he was talking to her! "If you're really Saiyan, I shouldn't be such an unusual sight!"

"S-Sorry..." The mysterious boy answered.

Hairiyu looked over at him again; he seemed a little embarrassed.

Time once again became a painful concept. The minutes seemed to slowly trickle by and once again Hairiyu'd grown rather bored and fed up. She'd ended up watching the clouds slowly drift across the skies, oblivious to Krillin rattling an empty drinks can with his foot, or any of the small conversations any of the adults were having amongst themselves. The cry of an unfamiliar bird fell on deaf ears as slowly she felt herself drifting away from her surroundings, falling into a sleepy state...

"...He should be arriving now." The mystery man's voice brought her back. Hairiyu opened her eyes and realised she'd fallen asleep! Embarrassed she sat up quickly, face quickly glancing up as a strong and familiar ki appeared; they were closing in on the planet.

"I feel it!" Tenshinhan cried. "I feel a ki!"

"Something is coming!" Yamcha stood up. "I don't believe it!"

"Then he was right about the time and place?" Bulma gaped; Hairiyu could see her mother struggling to spot where this ki was. She hadn't exactly found it either but had a rough idea of where it would appear from.

"It's dad's ki!" Gohan sounded excited; Hairiyu couldn't blame him. It had been more than a year since he'd last seen his father on Namek, now finally he was coming home to his family. She knew Gohan did deeply miss his father, even if he didn't show it so much.

A bright dot appeared high above them, slowly growing larger and louder as a high pitched squeal hit her sensitive ears. There was little doubt in her mind that it was a spaceship coming in to land and that Gohan's dad was on it.

In an instant the thing seemed to speed up, striking the ground not too far from them with a heavy and powerful amount of force, dust and rubble scattering high into the sky.

With no warning several of the fighters rushed towards the ship, Hairiyu about to join them before being snatched back. Confused she turned; her mother had grabbed onto her. "I am not being left behind again!" She spoke sounding a little angry.

Hairiyu held onto her mother and carefully took off after the others, cautious not to fly too fast or too high. Luckily they didn't have too far to go and she landed amongst the others just off the edge of the crater. Everyone's necks were craning to get a better view over the edge and Hairiyu was no different; she took a couple of steps closer and stood beside Gohan.

The crater was pretty big in size, Hairiyu not sure just how wide it was but guessing it was around fifty metres... or how long she thought fifty metres was! A small round sphere sat in the centre of the hole, half covered by a trail of dust rising into the air. It looked like a Saiyan space-pod just like her father's!

The pod door opened and Goku emerged.

The group all began to cheer, seemingly catching the Saiyan by surprise. Hairiyu just stood and smiled, suddenly grabbed by Gohan as he jumped up and down happily, Hairiyu letting herself be pulled into the madness and joining him.

"My dad's finally back!" Gohan cheered. "He's back!"

Through all the voices, Hairiyu could just about make out Goku speaking, although she wasn't sure what he said. She and Gohan stopped jumping on the spot and turned to face the Saiyan, who'd risen to their level floating in mid-air.

"This young man told us," Bulma spoke, referring to the lavender-haired fighter. "He knew you were going to be here."

"You know him, don't you dad?" Gohan smiled.

"... Who is he?" Goku asked.

That sent Hairiyu into a deeper whirl of confusion. Never mind how this mysterious Super Saiyan knew where and when Goku would arrive – how was it that Goku didn't recognise him? It made no sense to her! She raised a baffled eyebrow and folded her arms, expecting someone else to come up with a reason why.

"You don't know this kid?" Bulma replied shocked.

"No," Goku shook his head looking indifferent, "should I?"

"... But he knew you were going to arrive at this spot at this moment," Bulma explained.

"Really?" Goku looked surprised, as if he was being genuine about not knowing this man. "... Of course Freeza knew I was coming! He spotted my spaceship so he probably knew when I'd be coming to Earth. So who was it that defeated Freeza? That was some impressive ki! Was it you Piccolo, or you Vegeta?"

"This guy did it instantly," Piccolo answered referring to the lavender-haired man. "He became a Super Saiyan and wiped Freeza out!"

"A Super Saiyan?" Goku repeated impressed, turning to the mysterious man. "That's incredible! You're so young too! I didn't even know there were Saiyans besides us!"

"There aren't!" Vegeta interrupted sounding angry as always. "It's impossible! There can be no Saiyans but us!"

Hairiyu turned her eyes onto the lavender-haired man once again. He seemed a little down-hearted with her father's words. She almost wanted to tell him not to worry and to ignore her dad, strangely she felt genuine concern over him. The feeling bemused her and she stayed quiet.

"... Well, whatever," Goku shrugged his shoulders, "he sure was a super something, wasn't he?"

"What do you mean whatever?" Bulma grunted. "You've always been way too trusting Goku!"

"... Actually... Son Goku, sir..." the supposed Super Saiyan spoke up, "... can we talk – just the two of us?"

The seven-year-old girl watched as Goku and the mystery man flew off to the other side of the crater, indifferent to the grumblings of some of the adults in the group. She knew there was something about him that seemed to interest her so what was it? She spent quite a bit of time trying to work it out, interrupted by a brief moment of shock when Goku suddenly transformed into a Super Saiyan! The boy did the same seconds later!

"What's going on?" Bulma gawked. "Goku's hair went blonde!"

"He became a Super Saiyan," Gohan replied.

"What a huge ki..." Yamcha spluttered, "... and he's not even fighting yet!"

"The kid did it too," Tenshinhan added. "What are they going to do?"

That was a good question and once again Hairiyu waited for someone else to come up with an answer! It never came – the boy suddenly went to attack Goku! His sword stopped inches from Goku's head; Hairiyu confused and speechless over what she was sensing and what was going on. Why were they fighting? Why had the boy not hit Goku? Why were they Super Saiyans in the first place?

The fight continued, Goku blocking the boy's sword with nothing but a finger. After a few shots the boy jumped back, chucked his sword into the sky and transformed back down, catching his sword nimbly with his case.

"... Gohan?" She mumbled.

"Yeah?" Gohan asked, eyes not moving from his father.

"... Your dad and that guy are cool."

"Did you see that?" Tenshinhan asked.

"Yeah..." Yamcha nodded, "... but I don't believe it!"

Once again the two began to talk, although this time they did far more talking. Hairiyu wondered what they were saying and wished she could find out, yet she knew it would be rude to go over to them when the man had asked to speak to Goku alone. Her curiosity was irritating her. Every-so-often she was sure they would look back over to them and continue to talk. Why were they looking back? What were they talking about?

After what felt like an eternity, the young man ran and took off into the sky.

A stunned and confused expression etched its way across her face. Where was he going...?

"He's leaving!" Yamcha cried.

It did seem that way... Goku was also walking back towards them, arms folded. He seemed to be struggling with something...

-

The news was a shock to her ears and her imagination. What Goku – and Piccolo – had described sounded like Freeza, only far, far worse. The mysterious lavender-haired boy was from the future? In three years time Hairiyu and Gohan would be the only survivors of a big battle with some androids? The Dragonballs would vanish and the world would be plunged into darkness? She would eventually be killed... again?

It sounded so unbelievably horrible, like a living nightmare... Yet it sounded so unbelievable... How could anyone be worse than Freeza? Apparently she wasn't the only one struggling to believe this man's word.

"No way, it's too far-fetched!" Yamcha smiled. "He could just be claiming he's from the future!"

"Yeah!" It seemed her mother wasn't buying it either, "A time machine?"

"If you don't want to believe, fine," Piccolo muttered looking as serious as ever, "Stay out of our way! I'll train – I don't want to die!"

A small noise from Gohan caught her ear and Hairiyu looked at him, focus turning onto where he was looking up to. She spotted it not too far above the ground. It was some sort of machine, glowing and making a strange humming sound. The lavender-haired boy sat inside of it. With a wave he vanished, ki completely wiped out.

She found it difficult to confirm what she'd seen but at the same time found it fascinating!

"He's gone..." Krillin mumbled.

"... I'm gonna train..." Tenshinhan decided.

"Me too," Krillin agreed.

A smile appeared on Hairiyu's face, "... I wanna train too..." She mumbled quietly to herself.


	42. Chapter 041

**Chapter 041 - Preparing For The Future Part One**

Although the prospect of fighting in a battle that would get most of her friends and eventually her killed, Hairiyu was pleased. She had a reason to train now, something to push her to improve herself. What was better was that everyone else seemed to be doing it. Thoughts raced through her mind, she wondered how to go about her training? Should she ask someone for help? Would Piccolo still want to train her or would she have to ask someone else.

"So tell me Kakarrot, how did you escape from Namek?" Vegeta spoke out.

"Yeah, that's right! Freeza's ship was broken..." Yamcha remembered, "Kaio said you wouldn't have been able to make it."

"I'd have agreed with him!" Goku replied, "Luckily I found these round spaceships nearby, about four or five of them."

"Of course!" Vegeta gasped. "Those ships belonged to the Ginyu Force!"

"I guess so," Goku answered, "I just climbed aboard and pressed all the buttons and the next thing I knew, I was flying! It landed on a planet called Yardrat."

"Ginyu and his men were in the middle of conquering it," Vegeta smirked, "It had been programmed to go there automatically..." His eyes quickly darted over the taller Saiyan, "Then those weird clothes are from Yardrat."

"Yeah, I made friends with the people there," Goku smiled looking down at his clothes, "They gave me these because my clothes were ripped up. Looks weird, huh?"

Hairiyu's attention began to drift as Vegeta and Goku continued to talk. She had other pressing matters to attend to. First of all, who was that mysterious man? How had he been able to transform into a Super Saiyan? Why was her dad so sure he wasn't a Saiyan? Surely he'd have to be one to become a Super Saiyan? Then there was the matter of these androids. From what Hairiyu'd been taught, she was sure an android was a machine made to look like a human but really wasn't human at all. Who exactly was the Red Ribbon Army and how were they able to create these things? Her mama and grandpa had told her it was virtually impossible for them to create artificial life in the form of androids. Who was the person behind these things and how was he so smart?

"T-Teleport?" Several of the others cried, shaking her from her thoughts. Teleport? What had she missed?

"Show us..." Tenshinhan spoke.

Hairiyu breathed a sigh of relief; hopefully she'd be able to work out what had been going on since she'd drifted off.

"Alright, Goku nodded, "To do this you need to think of a person, not a place. Then you find their ki. You can't go to some place where there's no one you know! Now... where should I go...?"

Everyone was kept in suspense.

"I've got it!"

In that instant, Goku's body flickered slighly before it suddenly vanished into thin air. Hairiyu's jaw dropped in shock; he'd completely gone! She couldn't see him anywhere!

In the blink of an eye, Goku reappeared just as quickly as he'd vanished.

Vegeta snorted, "So what? That's just super speed and nothing more..."

"Ta-da!" Goku grinned; he'd returned with a pair of red sunglasses, "Guess who these belong to?"

"Th-Those are Master Roshi's sunglasses!" Krillin stammered in disbelief.

"We're at least ten-thousand Kilometres from Kame House!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"See, it's for real!" Goku nodded. "It's a technique the Yardrats' called Instant Transmission!" Obviously amused by the look of shock and disbelief on several of his friend's faces, he took the glasses from his face and held them out towards Krillin. "Krillin, do you think you could give these back to Master Roshi for me?"

Hairiyu now understood; so he'd learnt that when he'd been on that strange planet? It looked so cool! First a guy from the future with a time machine, now Gohan's dad could teleport!

"... Alright, we'll meet again in three years," Tenshinhan muttered. "Where and when will it be?"

Hairiyu focused, this was no time for her to be zoning out again!

"Um... He told me..." Goku's face dropped, "... I forgot!"

"May twelfth around ten on an island nine Kilometres southwest from South City," Piccolo repeated; the group had already discovered that the Namekian had heard Goku and the other boy speaking from earlier; his hearing was a lot sharper than everyone realised. Hairiyu had no idea Piccolo'd always had extra strong hearing. Everyone seemed to be able to do all this amazing stuff and what could she do?

"... We should get there an hour earlier. We'll meet at nine," Piccolo continued. "If you don't think you stand a chance, don't bother coming! The enemy this time will be unthinkably powerful. We don't want anybody who's going to drag us down!"

Hairiyu frowned. She was certain she probably fitted into that category...

"Don't make me laugh, aren't you the one who won't stand a chance?" Vegeta jeered.

Hairiyu gulped fearfully as she felt Piccolo's bloodlust flare up. "Do you want to try me out Vegeta?" He bellowed.

"Whoa, whoa!" Goku quickly stepped in between them. "Come on guys, let's all try to get along here. We're all in this together!"

"Hey guys, I was thinking..." Bulma spoke up. "Why don't we attack that Dr. Gero who created the androids now? Even if we don't know where he is, we can still use the Dragonballs to ask Shenron and he'll tell us! That way you won't have to go through all that in three years!"

For a moment no one spoke. Hairiyu looked up at her mother in awe. She'd never even considered that! Her mama was so smart!

"Y-Yeah!" Krillin finally spoke, "Great idea Bulma! Then we won't have to fight at all!"

Hairiyu had to admit it did save them having to fight a senselessly one-sided battle, no one would die. The only problem seemed to be finding enough time to gather the Dragonballs and then finding this Dr. Gero guy.

"If you try to do that, I'll kill you!" Vegeta bellowed. "Understand?"

Again a small moment of silence fell, everyone staring at the distant Saiyan Prince.

"What are you talking about?" Bulma finally snapped back, Hairiyu gasping and helping Krillin keep her mother from approaching Vegeta! "This isn't a game! The Earth's fate is riding on this!" Unexpectedly Bulma broke free and rushed towards Goku instead, grabbing the seemingly-indifferent warrior by his arms. "You agree with me, don't you Goku?"

"... I'm sorry but I want to fight too..." Goku answered, Bulma sinking to her knees. "Besides, Dr. Gero hasn't made the androids yet so it would be mean to go beat him up since he hasn't done anything wrong yet."

Hairiyu had to admit it made sense, although she could see her mother's point. She didn't exactly like the sound of these androids but she had to admit, some part of her seemed to want to fight them.

"I can't believe this!" Bulma wailed, getting back to her feet and turning to the others. "These Saiyans are battle junkies! You guys have some sense, right? If you die again you can never come back to life!"

"I want to try and see what I can do in battle," Tenshinhan replied. "If I die, it was an honourable death."

Bulma fell silent; Hairiyu felt sorry for her since no one seemed to be agreeing with her.

"... Bulma, I was thinking..." Krillin spoke up, "All of us here used to be enemies – I hated Goku when I first met him – but when there was a common enemy, we started teaming up because we had to and before we knew it, we became friends. These guys wouldn't normally train together and they can get pretty nasty..."

"What are you trying to say?" Bulma grunted annoyed, arms folded. The scowl on her face made Hairiyu flinch away; her mother's angry face had always sent shivers down her spine and it was a face she'd seen a fair few times.

Krillin etched closer to Bulma and spoke in a quieter voice, "Piccolo may be ok now but without a common enemy, who knows what Vegeta would do? Talk about scary..."

"... That was a really nice speech when you started out..." Gohan mumbled.

"Oh! So you don't wanna get beaten up, Krillin?" Hairiyu asked.

"Shut up you two!" Krillin blurted. "Spare me your wise cracks! You know what I mean!"

"Fine, do what you want!" Bulma pouted turning her back on the others. "It sure is a pain in the butt for civilised people like me who have to deal with you guys!"

"Then it's settled," Goku smiled. "Let's bring peace to the future!" He tossed one fist up into the air.

"Yeah!" Hairiyu and several of the other fighters pumped their fists into the air.

"Great, you've taken over the world now!" Bulma snorted. "You guys are as bad as your enemies! This fighting is morbid... but I guess I'm stuck with you!"

"Ok..." Goku seemed to be ignoring Bulma, "We'll meet at nine in the morning on May twelfth in three years time! Oh, and you don't have to come if you don't want to!"

Hairiyu heeded this warning. She didn't know how much use she'd be but she wanted to help the others out, even if at the end of the day Piccolo would consider her to be one of those who'd drag them down! Like it or not, she wanted to fight. She didn't want any of the others to die.

"Kakarrot..."

Her dad's voice grabbed her attention and she looked over.

"Don't think you don't need us just because you became a Super Saiyan..." Vegeta warned, "I will beat you sooner or later!"

Goku smiled. "Sure."

With that the Saiyan Prince suddenly took off, blasting the others indirectly with loose dust. Hairiyu flinched and protected her face from the light fragments whilst closing her eyes. She opened them once she'd felt the breeze die down, looking off into the distance where her father had disappeared to. A plan began to form in her mind.

"Well, we're gonna get going too," Tenshinhan decided. "We'll see you in three years..."

"See you guys later," Chaozu smiled and waved.

The two shot off the ground and into the skies.

Again Hairiyu watched. She wondered just how much stronger Tenshinhan and Chaozu would be when she next saw them...

"Hey Piccolo, do you wanna train with me and Gohan?" Goku asked. "I'd love to spar and stuff."

Hairiyu turned around anxiously; Piccolo had been training her recently! Would he turn her down if he decided to join Goku and Gohan? She saw no reason why he wouldn't; Goku would provide him with a far tougher opponent. Surely that would be what he'd want.

"... That would suit me fine," Piccolo answered.

"You wanna join us too, Krillin and Yamcha?" Goku asked.

"I'm gonna train at my own pace," Krillin shook his head.

"Yeah, me too," Yamcha agreed, "I doubt I could keep up with you guys!"

"What about you Hairiyu? I'm sure Gohan'd love it if you and Piccolo were there!" Goku asked, turning to Bulma as if he needed to double-check with her. "Would that be alright with you, Bulma?"

"I'm not sure; someone's going to school at the moment..." Bulma replied. "... At the end of the day it's her choice."

"I'd love to!" Hairiyu smiled eagerly, albeit something wasn't quite right.

"Alright then, we'll see you guys later!" Goku waved, turning but suddenly stopping. "... Oh, Bulma!"

"What is it?" Bulma asked.

"Have a healthy baby!"

Goku took off, Gohan and Piccolo close behind.

Bulma, Yamcha, Hairiyu, Krillin and Puar were left standing speechless.

"... Baby?" Krillin finally repeated, "Bulma, are you pregnant?"

"No," Bulma folded her arms, "What planet is he on?"

Hairiyu raised one eyebrow at Yamcha who seemed to be jittery; he had a strange look on his face and it sounded like he was laughing.

"I know what he's trying to say..." the scar-faced man spluttered, "It's time for us to stop stalling, get married and create a family! That big lug's gotten smoother than I thought!"

Hairiyu felt a little uncomfortable hearing that. Her mother already had a family – her! Was Yamcha going to try and push her out of it? No, he wouldn't do that... She had to give him more credit than that; most of the time Yamcha was fine around her. Maybe he'd make a decent father... even if she wasn't his child. How would her dad react? Would he even care? The young girl's head buzzed with a thousand questions with few answers.

"Alright, I'm gonna head off too," Krillin decided. "Whatever Goku's going on about Bulma, take care of yourself. Yamcha, Hairiyu – I'll see you guys soon!"

The short warrior took to the skies vanishing into the horizon.

"I guess we'd better be heading back then," Bulma sighed, "... great, I can't remember where I left my jet!"

"We can fly you back to it," Yamcha replied. "It can't be too far."

"It's over in that direction," Hairiyu pointed. "I remember seeing those funny-looking mountains behind us!"

"I'll take your word for that!" Bulma sighed.

Yamcha decided to head off to another location to start off his training and to gather his thoughts for the rest of the day, leaving Bulma, Puar and Hairiyu to fly back to Capsule Corp. Since the craft was only designed for one person, Hairiyu happily flew home on her own steam. There were a couple of things going through her mind on the flight back home.

Once they'd arrived, Hairiyu decided to ask her mother about something.

"How come you're letting me train?" Hairiyu asked as her mother placed her jet back into capsule form, "...I thought that I had to go to school."

"Well you are supposed to..." Bulma replied putting her capsule away in her case and sliding it into her jacket pocket, "... but I guess I'd rather you didn't die like that guy said you were supposed to! As for your education, I guess I could arrange some home tutoring for you a couple of times a week to keep you on track."

"Thank you mama," Hairiyu smiled hugging her mother.

"You've got to promise me you'll try hard both in training and in learning!" Bulma added, hugging her only child back. "Train hard with Goku and Piccolo and Gohan – I know Goku will make sure you're taken care of and to be honest, I'm really impressed and relieved Piccolo took such care of you and Gohan!"

"Right," Hairiyu nodded.

-

The training began immediately and as planned, Hairiyu trained alongside Piccolo, Gohan and Goku. She would travel over to Gohan's home in the mountains and travel back home, often arriving around dark. The flight to and from the small hamlet nestled in the valley below Mount Paozu was was tiring but Hairiyu knew it would do her stamina good in the long run. Flying long distances would become less tiring and less of an issue.

As per usual, morning came. Today she'd be training. Hairiyu grabbed her bag and swung it over onto her shoulder before dashing out of her room, closing the door behind her. She broke off into a trot down the long winding corridor, passing her grandmother on the way down to the stairs.

"Oh, Hairiyu sweetie, would you like to try some of the new cakes I bought?" Mrs Brief asked.

"No thank you nana!" Hairiyu called rushing past the cheerful blonde woman. "I'm going to Gohan's house to train!" She leapt down several of the stairs and landed on her feet, jumping again down the next flight and making a dash through the reception out into the front of the building, not even giving the receptionist a chance to say good-bye! With an eager and strong jump she took off into the sky. At this rate she was going to be late!

The training she endured was tough and challenging for both her and Gohan. Whilst Piccolo and Goku would take it in turns to have a small sparring session with either of the two kids, often the two masters would challenge each other, leaving Gohan and Hairiyu to spar together. Sometimes all four of them would get involved in one fight; often Goku would ask to face off against the trio. He was no easy opponent to hit, let alone beat! Only Piccolo seemed to hold an edge against him, though that didn't discourage Gohan nor Hairiyu who still insisted on giving it their all.

By the time she got home it was near dark. The long flight across the continent had slowly become faster; it only took her two-and-a-half hours to fly from one to another. Tired and hungry, Hairiyu literally bounced across the ground, stopping when she noticed the spaceship still had its lights on inside. No doubt her dad was training inside there again. She'd heard him yelling and threatening her grandfather to make him some sort of gravity machine, whatever that was supposed to do.

Curious she wandered over to the side of the large ship; she was too small to see through the window. Cautiously she climbed onto one of the ship legs and glanced inside. Her father had his back to her and seemed to be shadow-boxing; he had several bandages wrapped around him. Content he was up to nothing unusual or facinating, Hairiyu ducked down quickly and jumped down to the ground leaving him to train.

Making her way inside and into the living quarters she found her mama and nana eating their dinner in the living room.

"Hi sweetie!" Mrs Brief cheerfully greeted her granddaughter.

"Your dinner's in the microwave," Bulma put her plate down and got to her feet; she seemed a little annoyed with something. Hairiyu followed her mother into the kitchen and patiently waited while she re-heated her food for her.

"So how was it today?" Bulma asked.

"It was tough," Hairiyu smiled, "Goku's really strong! I couldn't even hit him! I can hit Piccolo though – and Gohan too! Goku said I could become really strong if I kept my training up so I'm gonna do my best!"

"I'm glad it went well," Bulma sighed. "... We almost lost our house thanks to a certain Saiyan!"

"Really?" Hairiyu raised her eyebrows. "Why, what did he do?"

"It wasn't long after you left - Vegeta was training so hard, he blew up the ship your grandpa made!" Bulma explained, "We had to nurse him back while your grandpa tried to put the spaceship back together – It's amazing he did it in such short time! Then when he woke up, Vegeta went straight back to training! He's not going to heal properly at this rate! That man is just impossible!"

Hairiyu frowned and glanced over to the window; so that was why he'd had bandages on.

The microwave pinged and Bulma served her daughter's food up. "It's important that you rest up and let your wounds heal before you go charging back to training. Remember that, ok?"

"Ok," Hairiyu nodded obediently, grabbing a tray and some cutlery before following her mother back into the living room to eat.

-

A month or so passed. Although Hairiyu was getting her training in with Goku, Piccolo and Gohan, Goku had expressed a concern with how much time she was missing out on. Since Hairiyu spent time travelling to and from West City, she was in effect losing out on five hours worth of training!

It sounded like a lot of time.

Hairiyu knew she would have to find some way of getting more training in and as a result, found herself struggling with the one thought she'd had...

The sun had barely risen above the buildings. Although today was designated as one of her study days, Hairiyu wanted to try and catch her father before he headed into the spaceship for more training. She hadn't seen him come into the house at all last night and wondered if he'd stayed inside the ship for the night. Following her instinct she headed straight outside and nervously approached the ship.

Shockingly she couldn't hear the gentle hum of the gravity machine inside the ship. Was he not in after all? Maybe he was asleep or getting food?

Hairiyu turned on her heels and almost jumped out of her skin when she saw her father walking towards her... or in her general direction probably heading for the spaceship! She almost didn't say anything until the pressure persuaded her otherwise; she opened her mouth just as he was passing her.

"Um... P-Please train me!" She spluttered timidly, almost spewing it out as one word! Immediately she wished she could physically grab the words and shove them back into her mouth as if somehow that would reverse time and erase the memory of those words ever leaving her mouth!

She could feel his glance on her and couldn't find the courage to look back at him, instead she kept her eyes on the path in front of her.

"... I have no time for weaklings." Vegeta muttered, brushing past his child and entering the spaceship.

Even after she heard the door seal itself she continued to stand. She'd thought he'd say no. Now what was she meant to do? She was losing valuable time and Vegeta was the strongest fighter she had living under her roof! There had to be a way she could put more training hours into her day...

Hairiyu made her way back inside and back to her study area where her personal tutor, Ms. Chalk, was waiting.

The lady was incredibly nice, maybe too nice at times, although Hairiyu wasn't complaining. She always had a way of explaining things in a way Hairiyu could easily grasp and she found it was sticking in her head. Her mother certainly hadn't gone wrong with this tutor!

"Alright, today we're gonna cover a bit of maths, grammar and physics," Ms Chalk decided as Hairiyu sat herself down. "We'll start off with some algebra."

Hairiyu was clueless to the fact she was learning things children a couple of years older than her would learn, although she'd noticed the teaching was different to what she was used to during her short time in Elementary School!


	43. Chapter 042

**Chapter 042 - Preparing For The Future Part Two**

Age 765

They were at it again.

Hairiyu lay awake on one side, covers almost pulled over her head. She could hear her mother and Yamcha yelling at each other from one of the other rooms and could tell what each of them were saying. Horrible words were being spoken. It sent shivers down her spine and lured emotions from inside of her, emotions she wasn't comfortable feeling.

Her mother's voice was loud and slightly wobbly; Yamcha's just as loud and emotional. It sounded like Yamcha had cheated on her mother with another woman. The eight-year-old hated him. She hated him for how upset he'd made her mama; even while yelling Hairiyu could hear the hurt in her voice. That's what had summoned the uncomfortable and unwanted emotions.

What time was it? She glanced over at her alarm clock: almost twenty-past ten at night. Yet again she'd gone to bed around nine just to find out she wouldn't be sleeping for a while. Were they even aware she could hear them?

Something slammed quite heavily; Hairiyu guessing it was a door. Shuffling feet brushed past her door alongside a shadow moving across the small gap between her door and the 's energy was moving past her room. She heard him mutter something insulting as he disappeared down the corridor, probably leaving the house. Hairiyu hoped he was leaving. She didn't want to see him here, not when he'd made her mama sad.

A couple of footsteps came from the room next to hers, then nothing. The quiet was eerie and full of suspense. Hairiyu only hoped her mother was alright. She was almost certain she could hear her sniffling through the wall. With luck her nana and grandpa were still awake and wandering around the house; they'd be able to cheer her mother up...

Yamcha's ki started to travel away from the house, Hairiyu keeping one eye on it for a moment before turning her attention to other matters. Out of curiosity and seeing as she was tracking ki signals she took a quick peek onto her father's. His ki was as strong as ever; no doubt he was still training inside the spaceship with that gravity machine her grandpa'd told her he was training with. She wondered if he'd heard her mother and Yamcha's fight?

Silence quickly fell. Hairiyu listened out a little longer before her mother's footsteps were heard once more, this time walking out into the hallway and away from her room until she could no longer hear them. At last she could close her eyes and try to drift to sleep, providing her brain would shut up and stop making her worry about her mother...

-

Bulma was sat moping at the table when Hairiyu finally found her. Almost as soon as she'd realised her daughter had walked in, Bulma hurriedly got to her feet and put on a smile, "Morning honey."

"Morning," Hairiyu greeted her mother, quickly glancing down at the floor. She looked awful, even with that fake and unconvincing smile. Without saying anything more Hairiyu walked up to her mother and hugged her tightly. After a moment Bulma's hands gently laid themselves on Hairiyu's head and she heard an audible sigh escape her mother's mouth.

"I've got some bad news," She started.

"Yamcha's a jerk," Hairiyu interrupted, deliberately not making eye contact with her mother. A small moment of quiet passed before Bulma spoke again.

"... So you heard us?"

Hairiyu nodded her head; she'd suddenly found herself coming close to tears and was determined not to let her mother see them. She'd spent much of last night worrying over her and hoping she'd be ok. She had to be strong for her mother's sake.

"Sorry about that," Bulma apologised. "It looks like your mama and Yamcha won't be seeing each other anymore..."

"... Are you sad?" Hairiyu asked, face still hidden.

"... Yes and no..."

"What does that mean?"

"Well... mama's sad because she got hurt... but she's happy because now she's free and has all the family she needs."

Hairiyu didn't really get it and she could tell her mother was sadder than she was letting on. If she said she was happy then that was something.

"Hey, haven't you got training today?" Bulma asked. "Come on - let's get you some breakfast..." She gently pushed her daughter back and got out of her seat to prepare herself and her daughter some food.

"... Hairiyu?"

"Yeah mama?" Hairiyu kept her eyes fixated on her mother's back as she wandered over to the cupboard.

"Don't call him a jerk," Bulma ordered.

It was an odd request, and one that filled Hairiyu with annoyance since she felt it to be true; he'd obviously hurt her mother and Hairiyu was very protective over her mother. Nevertheless she respected her mother's wishes. "Sorry."

-

The weeks passed by and Hairiyu kept an eye on her mother; she seemed to be getting on alright and had the support of her parents. Yamcha hadn't dared return to the house and Hairiyu was glad; if he did return he'd have her on his back! She wasn't sure what she'd do but she wanted to think she'd tell him off!

Training became tougher and tougher for the child but she was sure with each passing day she was growing stronger. It had been over a year now since the mysterious Super Saiyan from the future had come, just under two more years to go...

Around a month after Bulma and Yamcha broke up, Hairiyu was walking around the grounds on one of her days off. She'd had to take time off of training due to an injury to her elbow; it was stiff and painful to move. As a result Goku'd suggested taking it easy and her mother had suggested not studying as she'd need to rest her arm. Hairiyu wasn't complaining about the studying part!

Feeling a little restless being around the house and doing nothing, Hairiyu'd ended up spending the morning with her nana on a small trip to buy some cakes.

The sun was blocked out by a large grey sheet of cloud covering the entire skyline and it looked like it was about to rain. She needed to be quick otherwise she'd be caught out; she only wished her nana would walk faster!

"Come on nana, it's gonna rain!" Hairiyu called, holding several large boxes of cake in her arms.

"Don't worry dear, I have my umbrella!" Mrs Brief cheerfully replied. "If it starts to rain we'll just walk under it!"

Hairiyu frowned and faced ahead once more; she could see their house at the end of the street. It was difficult not to notice the large yellow building looming over the other buildings of the street.

Nothing prepared them for what happened next.

The ground suddenly shook violently as a deafening roar struck their ears. It was so unexpected it almost made Hairiyu drop her cakes! Thankfully she didn't; instead the young girl watched in confusion and awe as the spaceship in their yard took off into space once again, quickly vanishing through the veil of grey. The ship had been stolen again?

"Oh my, I wonder who that was?" Mrs Brief mumbled. "I hope it wasn't Vegeta! What a shame..."

Hairiyu knew it was Vegeta; she sensed his ki as it quickly increased the distance between them. He was gone again, she wondered for how long... Would he come back?

"I think we'd better hurry inside dear," Mrs Brief jogged Hairiyu from her thoughts. "Let's get these cakes inside while it's still dry!"

As they walked down the main entrance path and inside the building, the receptionist's greeting was lost on the young girl. She was replaying that moment she'd seen the ship take off. Why so sudden? Why was her dad leaving the planet? She didn't understand what the motive behind it was and felt more saddened that now her chances of asking him to train her were completely gone. He was barely around the house yet Hairiyu appreciated that. He kept her training because of how passionate he was about it. As the weeks had gone by and since he'd rejected her, Hairiyu'd wanted to train in the hopes that one day he would accept her as his pupil and his child.

Before she knew it she'd put the cakes down in the kitchen; the boxes had been nothing and she'd forgotten about her elbow! Leaving her grandmother to it, Hairiyu entered the living room to find her mother and grandpa glancing out the window, talking about her father.

"... I wonder how much fuel there is left in the ship..." Dr Brief mumbled. "To be honest I can't remember the last time I topped her up!"

_'Fuel?_ Hairiyu gasped. There was a chance he had little fuel? How would he get back? Was he leaving the planet and planning not to come back? What about the androids? Would they have to face them without his help? Hairiyu didn't like the idea of one of the stronger of the fighters on the planet not being on hand for when the danger came...

"Let the jerk go," Bulma grunted crossing her arms. "It'll save us having to fix the gravity machine or the training equipment only for him to break them again, not to mention the food bill he's been running up!"

-

A month passed since Vegeta's untimely departure up into space. There'd been no word from him. Training continued as normal, Hairiyu continued to train with Gohan, Piccolo and Goku. Every-so-often she would instead head over to Kame House and insist on a sparring session with Krillin, wanting to fight with him as well as catch up with him to see how things were going.

Then one evening she returned home to find her mother had some news for her. It was big and very important news judging by the look on Bulma's face; she appeared slightly stressed and worried and a little pale.

The news was a big shock to her. For a while Hairiyu did not blink as the information slowly sunk in, her jaw lowered slightly as she stared at her mother in disbelief.

"...I'm going to be a big sister?"

"Yes," Bulma nodded, slightly relieved to hear her daughter speak. She hadn't quite expected Hairiyu to go quiet as she had and it had worried her all the more!

Bulma was indeed pregnant and had been for just over a month. She knew her daughter would have all sorts of questions for her. Hell, her parents had had many questions for her such as who the father was and how she was going to cope!

"Wow... I'm gonna be a sister!" Hairiyu seemed more excited than anything. "Wow, I get a little..." She paused realising there was more information she needed. "... Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I'm not sure yet," Bulma answered, not about to add she'd spent most of the week knowing she was pregnant and not knowing when and how to let her daughter know! "Listen sweetie, I wanna surprise the guys when we all meet up again to see the androids, so don't let Goku, Gohan or anyone else know about this, ok?"

Hairiyu nodded. She wasn't entirely sure if she could keep a secret as big as this; she was so excited and thrilled to find out she'd have a baby brother or sister coming, she wanted to tell someone!

"Don't you wanna know anything else?" Bulma asked.

"Oh..." Hairiyu pondered. "... Can I tell grandpa and nana about it?"


	44. Chapter 043

**Chapter 043 - Little Brother**

The news had been a big shock to everyone who knew. No doubt it would be a big shock to everyone who was not aware of it yet but for now as few people as possible would know about it.

Bulma was pregnant.

Hairiyu's first reaction had been one of joy, eager to tell someone about her soon going to be a big sister. In fact she'd been so eager she'd left her mother and rushed off to find her grandparents only to find out after telling them they already knew. At least the urge of telling someone had been allowed to get out of her system. Her mother had specifically instructed her daughter not to tell anyone she was expecting, which was easier said than done since she was constantly visiting Goku, Piccolo and Gohan every day for training! Somehow she managed to muster enough restraint not to say a word to any of them about it, not realising that Goku and Piccolo already knew that Bulma would fall pregnant with Vegeta's child!

Vegeta had ventured off into space once more. By the time Bulma'd found out she was pregnant the Saiyan Prince was long gone, so he was not aware of the news. It was instead to be a big surprise for him when he returned – and he would return. No doubt he'd want a crack at these seemingly powerful androids who were supposedly going to kill him. The timing of his trip could not have been worse according to Dr and Mrs Brief, neither of whom were impressed with the Saiyan's track record of knocking their daughter up and vanishing into space!

Hairiyu hadn't been that impressed either. She was resentful towards her father for leaving, even if at the time he wouldn't have been aware he'd managed to impregnate her mother. Still what was new? Surely she knew better; of course her dad would vanish regardless of her mother's wellbeing. He'd done it before so what would stop him from doing it again? Then again just because he'd done it before didn't mean it was ok to do it at all! Hairiyu held her judgement to herself and continued as normal. She couldn't exactly say she was doing much better. Her mother was needing more help around the house (and thankfully Mrs Brief was helping her out to the best of her ability) and Hairiyu felt guilty she was constantly going out to train. She'd help her mother if she could but the prospect of being killed by two powerful androids and letting the world fall to ruin was far stronger and in one respect (though she'd never say this out loud to anyone) more important. She felt awful saying it in her own head but if she could focus on getting stronger and helping to beat these androids, surely that would build a better world for her younger sibling? The man from the future had said how awful his own time was; she didn't want her younger sibling to have to live in a world such as his.

Bulma's body slowly changed shape as the weeks went by, and her ability to do things around the house and at work slowly changed though not for the better! Still she insisted on continuing her work in the labs until her body would not let her!

Hairiyu arrived home one winter's evening after training, eager to see her mother. Today her mother had gone in for another routine check-up to see how she and the baby were doing. Today she was also going to ask what the child's sex was. Hairiyu hoped it would be a girl!

"It's a boy," Bulma answered her daughter.

Judging by the look on her daughter's face Bulma guessed that was not the news she wanted, though quickly the look of disappointment was replaced with one of thought.

Hairiyu was indeed pondering over the news. So it wasn't a girl, it was a boy? Surely that wasn't so bad? Hairiyu wasn't so sure, she'd had her heart set on having a little sister and not a little brother!

"... Can we ask the doctors to change it?" Hairiyu asked. "I want a little sister!"

Bulma scoffed a small outburst of laughter and shook her head, "Sorry sweetie, you can't change it. Cheer up, having a little brother will be better than you think!"

Hairiyu sighed and crossed her arms, tilting her head up. Maybe she was right... No, having a little brother would be as annoying as she thought! Then again from the limited experience she'd had at Elementary School Hairiyu knew that boys were more inclined to fight and play sports, so surely that would mean her brother would be as energetic as them? Maybe she could train him? Then again she also knew some girls who were just as inclined to fight and who were sporty... Having a little sister would have been fine too as far as training went. Hairiyu was a girl after all and she enjoyed it! Indeed having a little sister would have been better!

"Before you go running off, grandma and grandpa already know the news," Bulma added, returning to reading her magazine. A small smirk tugged at her lip when she noticed the face her daughter was pulling; one of desperation no doubt because now she had no one to tell!

"So how long now until he's gonna be here?" The eight-year-old asked once the disappointment and urgency to tell someone had left her system. "I wanna see what he looks like..."

"Wanna see him?" Bulma smiled. The hint of teasing did not go unnoticed by her daughter and Hairiyu watched her as she dove into her handbag, retrieving out a small picture. Hairiyu realised what could be on it and shuffled closer to her mother to see her unborn baby brother. Her eyes studied the small picture carefully. Quickly she became a little confused as to what it was she was looking for! Most of the picture was black, some lighter lines were outlining a bizarre shape in the middle of the photo.

"... What's that?" She asked.

"This is an ultrasound scan of your little brother," Bulma knew that question was coming, one finger pointed to the photo. "See, this is his head, these are his arms and these are his legs."

"... What's that long thing?"

"That's the umbilical cord; it's how mama manages to feed him whilst he's inside of me."

"Oh..." Hairiyu kept her eyes eagerly on the picture of the supposedly growing child. He didn't look very human. His head looked gigantic compared to the rest of him and even his arms and legs looked strange. She noticed something was missing. "Where's his tail mama?"

"He doesn't have one," Bulma replied. She'd wondered this herself when she'd first seen the image. Hairiyu's tail had appeared when she was at the same stage as her younger brother; the tail's absence initially had Bulma worried until she'd reminded herself it meant no transforming into giant monkeys and no awkward questions from the doctors or the neighbours! She'd already had to accept that the doctors were convinced Hairiyu'd had a bizarre mutation of some sort and were questioning any possibility of radiation secretly held within Capsule Corp!

It would have to wait until Vegeta returned before Bulma could question him about Saiyan tails...

"He looks weird," Hairiyu mused to herself. How was this bizarre-looking thing going to look when it was time for him to be born?

The nine months soon came to an end. Soon it was time for Bulma to give birth to her son.

Age 776

The contractions had started around half nine in the morning; thankfully she'd been in the kitchen with her parents when her waters had broke! Conveniently Hairiyu was also meant to have been studying at home which meant all the family were there for the journey to the hospital. At least she wouldn't have to find some lie to tell Goku for not showing up for training, Hairiyu thought.

The truth was she was both excited and scared. She had been aware that women giving birth would scream a lot but she hadn't realised just how much hearing her mother cry out in agony would upset her. In the end Dr Brief had taken Hairiyu out of the room seeing the distress it was causing her, despite his granddaughter protesting she wanted to be with her mother. Dr Brief had managed to distract her by mentioning they could call the hospital to let them know they'd be coming in. Bulma had chosen to have a hospital birth after all just in case.

By the time the ambulance jet had arrived her mother's contractions had become more frequent. Dr Brief continued to distract his granddaughter through conversation and the two ended up travelling in their own hovercar as the ambulance jet could only fit Bulma and one other person in amongst the machines and professionals.

Once they'd arrived at the busy hospital, Dr Brief and Hairiyu were informed by Mrs Brief about the journey there and how Bulma was doing. She'd been whisked away into one of the delivery rooms since she'd started crowning on the way to the hospital.

"Why can't I go see mama?" Hairiyu asked frustrated.

"We have to wait for the doctors to say it's ok," Dr Brief answered his impatient granddaughter.

"You're a doctor though grandpa, you can say it's ok so we can visit!" Hairiyu insisted.

Dr Brief chuckled as he shook his head, "I'm not that sort of doctor!"

"Yeah well they don't know that!" Hairiyu pointed out eagerly. "Come on grandpa!"

"Sorry dear but we've gotta wait here," Mrs Brief stroked her granddaughter's hair. "Why don't you get yourself a drink from the vending machine? There's lots of different flavours you can choose from."

"I'm not thirsty," Hairiyu lied. She was in need of a drink but she was far more interested in finding out if her mother was alright! She couldn't hear her anymore because the delivery room she'd been taken into was around the corner down the corridor.

"Here, I brought something along for the ride," Dr Brief foldled around in one of his pockets before pulling out a small packet of cards. "I had a feeling we'd be needing these!"

"Cards?" Hairiyu frowned saddned, "Grandpa I don't wanna play. I wanna make sure mama's-"

"Right now all we can do for your mother is wait patiently until she has given birth to your little brother," Dr Brief interrupted. "The doctors and midwife are doing all they can to make sure your mother has a safe and easy birth and are giving her all the help and attention she needs. The least we can do is let them do their job. If your mother needs help from any one of us then she'll let us know."

Hairiyu stayed quiet and slumped into a seat, staring down at her lap in disappointment. She didn't like not being able to do anything; she'd had enough of feeling that way on the battlefield let alone here in a hospital!

Footsteps came from down the hallway. They were quick and heavy; someone was running. Hairiyu was surprised to see who it was when she locked onto his ki.

"I came as fast as I could," Yamcha had appeared looking slightly out of breath. It had almost been a whole year since Hairiyu'd seen the fighter. He was indeed looking a lot stronger since last time and his ki was larger than before. That was beside the point though; what was he doing here?

"How is she?" The scar-faced man asked.

"She's doing fine as far as we know," Mrs Brief answered, "she's been here for a couple of hours now and started going into labour when we were in the ambulance. It shouldn't be too much longer."

"Any signs of Vegeta?" Yamcha's voice was filled with a little hint of bitterness when the Saiyan's name came out. His brow creased when both Bulma's parents answered with a shake of the head. Hairiyu noticed this and grew a little cross at Yamcha for being disrespectful towards her father. Then again the man wasn't even on the planet right now so who could blame them all for their resentment towards him? Even Hairiyu was a little cross with him for not being more helpful and staying on Earth!

A couple more hours passed. Mrs Brief ended up being called into the delivery room to give her daughter some emotional and moral support, leaving Dr Brief, Yamcha and Hairiyu to wait impatiently in the waiting area still.

Hairiyu found herself being dragged into a game of cards along with her grandfather and Yamcha, much to her annoyance. She felt so restless sitting around waiting for her mother and brother to finish their ordeal. If only she'd been called in instead of her nana for some support. She may not know much about giving birth but surely she could let her mother squeeze her hand? (She knew that was supposed to happen a lot when someone was giving birth thanks to cartoons!)

"Anyone besides me thinking it might be time to grab a snack?" Dr Brief asked as he placed one card down on top of the pile centred between the three of them.

"That might be a good idea," Yamcha nodded, picking another card up and trading one of his own back to the pile.

"Feeling hungry yet Hairiyu?" Dr Brief glanced to his granddaughter; she'd been quiet for a while now, seemingly concentrating on something.

"Mm," was all he could get out of her. Indeed Hairiyu was concentrating half on the card game but also on her mother's energy. If she couldn't be with her in person then she'd just have to keep an eye on her ki instead!

"You two stay here in case anything else comes up about Bulma. I'll go see if I can find us something in the cafeteria," Dr Brief rose off the floor and stretched before making his way down the hallway back to the entrance and cafe area, leaving Hairiyu and Yamcha to continue playing.

Hairiyu said very little to Yamcha as they continued their game. Why was he here? She wanted to know why it was he'd taken the time of day to visit his mother whilst she was here. It wasn't like she was giving birth to his baby or anything. He shouldn't have to be here; Bulma already had Hairiyu and her parents to look after her, she didn't need Yamcha's help. Hairiyu hadn't forgotten the things the scar-faced man had said to her mother on the night they'd broken up; she'd been kept awake because of their arguing. She may only be nine-years-old but Hairiyu knew how relationships were supposed to work and that included how cheating was not allowed.

"I wonder how she's doing in there..." Yamcha tried to start up a conversation. "Knowing Bulma she's probably demanding more painkillers and giving the doctors a run for their money! Guess she's entitled to."

Hairiyu shrugged her shoulders, not really wanting to strike up a conversation with him. She picked up a card from the pile and traded it with her own.

Yamcha tried again. "... So how's your training going?"

"Fine," Hairiyu answered. "Your turn."

Yamcha took a card and placed it back down on top of the pile of unneeded cards.

Why was he here? He didn't need to be here; she, her grandpa and her nana were more than enough support for her mama. Hairiyu wasn't fully aware of the jealousy she felt towards the man opposite her, though she recognised it more as annoyance and dislike. What was he trying to do? Was he trying to muscle his way back into a relationship whilst her father was away in space? Was he trying to get back together with Bulma? Hairiyu knew she couldn't dictate her mother and Yamcha's relationship but she didn't like the idea of this chance for her family to become a proper family being thrown away thanks to this man!

"Only a year left until the androids get here, huh?" Yamcha mumbled more to himself than anyone else. It was a very sobering thought, one that reminded both of how fragile life could be. Supposedly in a year's time, Yamcha was supposed to be killed along with all the other fighters except for Gohan and Hairiyu...

"... I don't mean to be rude..." Hairiyu cut in, "... but why are you here?"

Yamcha seemed a little surprised by her question. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you come here to the hospital?" Hairiyu echoed her question.

"... To give your mother some support," Yamcha answered sounding a little defensive. "What's wrong with that?"

"Mama already has me, nana and grandpa here." Hairiyu responded growing more and more irked with every second. "Me, grandpa and nana will take care of her."

"Hey she's my friend kid, I'll come visit her whenever I want to!" Yamcha growled.

"No you won't!" Hairiyu's temper exploded, she rose off the floor and onto her feet, fists clenched and trembling by her sides. "It's not even your baby – it's my dad's! You don't need to be here! Mama doesn't need your support!"

"Hey! He may not be my kid your mother is in there giving birth to but that's not going to stop me from supporting her in any way I can!" Yamcha did not raise his voice unlike Hairiyu, though there was more conviction and firmness in his voice than before. He stayed seated; Hairiyu's full height was practically the same as his sitting down! "Your mother and I have been friends long before you even came along and even when you did I was there supporting her and helping her! I've done more than I can say your father has."

"Dad doesn't know!" Hairiyu cried back. "Even if he did know and still went off into space, it wouldn't matter! Mama doesn't need dad's support or yours – she's got grandpa and nana and me to help her! We don't need any more help!"

Yamcha glared at the child for the briefest of moments before rising to his feet. Without a word he wandered off down the corridor in the same direction as Dr Brief had.

Hairiyu kept her eyes on him as she watched him leave. Had she gone too far? Now she felt bad. She hadn't meant to have said something to hurt him, just to get him to leave. She believed what she'd said; he really didn't need to be here. Her mother was doing just fine with her grandparents and Hairiyu to help her. What was that saying... something to do with too many cooks being in the same room? It felt like that situation to her. Too many people looking after her could make her mother go crazy... couldn't it? Her thoughts continued to race as her emotions continued to swirl around. Her mother's ki was still fluctuating. Her nana was with her mama and her grandpa was getting her food... There was no one there for her to comfort her.

She slumped herself against the wall and slid down to the floor, drawing her knees to her chin and wrapping her arms around her legs.

Her father's was nowhere to be felt. Why did he have to go and disappear on them at a time like this? It was so frustrating having to listen to someone say things about him that despite her knowing them to be true, were hurtful and disrespectful. Yes he was selfish and did as he pleased but he was still her dad! It almost felt as if she were the one being insulted for standing up for him or even being related to him.

A couple of footsteps caught her ear. Hairiyu glanced out of the corner of her eye, surprised to see Yamcha returning with a couple of cans from a vending machine, still looking as if he was fuming inside. Hairiyu did not make any eye contact with him, feeling a little ashamed of what she'd said to him. She didn't want to apologise to him but knew she'd have to at some point if and when someone else found out about her outburst.

Without saying anything the warrior placed one can next to the young girl and sat down beside her, opening his own can and taking a swig of drink.

There was an awkward silence as both fighters were left to their own thoughts. It started eating at Hairiyu along with her already emotional state and she gave into her morals.

"... Sorry," She mumbled gloomily, taking the can he'd left for her and opening it.

"You're forgiven," Yamcha mumbled. "Must be frustrating," He took another swig of his drink before continuing. "... not knowing where your dad is."

Hairiyu's brows crossed slightly at this remark. There was truth in it. Just where the hell was that man?

"You realise how tough it's going to be to support your mama, right?" Yamcha asked. "It won't be easy, take it from someone who's done it before."

Hairiyu frowned. There was something else she knew she needed to say to him. "... Thank you for helping my mama."

"You're welcome," Yamcha muttered. "If I find out you haven't been doing a good enough job looking after her, I'll be stepping in."

The two sat in silence for a couple more minutes, both again left to their thoughts until Dr Brief returned.

It was a further seven hours before the birth happened.

Dr Brief had fallen asleep on one of the chairs whilst Yamcha had gone to find the toilets.

Hairiyu'd been keeping an eye on her mother's incredibly agitated ki signal, confused as to why it would rise and fall so much. She'd sensed the moment her brother had separated from her mama; his tiny ki becoming properly noticeable for the first time.

"She gave birth!" She cheered jumping to her feet and startling her grandpa from his sleep!

"What? Did a nurse come out?" Dr Brief demanded.

"No, I can sense him!" Hairiyu smiled eagerly rushing to the doors separating her mother from the rest of them. "I wanna go see mama!"

"Wait Hairiyu, we need to be patient," Dr Brief was quick off the mark. "We have to wait until one of the nurses tells us it's ok to visit."

"Aww..." Hairiyu frowned disappointed, making her way back to her seat. She wanted to see her mother now!

Luckily they weren't kept waiting for long; as soon as the nurse said it was ok Hairiyu bounded into the room and rushed up to her mother.

"Mama!" She called relieved to see her mother again. "Are you alright? Where's my brother? Is he here? Did it hurt?"

"I could be better... mama's on some strong painkillers," Bulma answered sounding tired and looking just as awake as she sounded! "I think your baby brother's been taken to the baby ward."

Hairiyu looked up at her grandpa who knew what she was about to ask. "Alright, we'll go find him."

She pressed her face against the cold glass, eyes flittering over all the newborns in their cribs on the other side of the panel. One of them was her brother...

"There he is," Dr Brief pointed, "the blue and white crib in the second row..."

Hairiyu spotted it and took a deep breath in. He was near the back of the room but she could still see him pretty well. He looked so tiny and frail. She was left speechless.

"So, that's your little brother," Dr Brief mumbled, pulling her from her trance. "Quite the handsome baby, isn't he?"

"... I guess... he looks fat," Hairiyu nodded. "Do you think mama's thought of a name for him?"

"I'm not sure," Dr Brief answered.

Silence fell once again as the two continued to watch the newest member of their family. Hairiyu felt her grandfather's hand rest on her shoulder and continued to watch, wondering if her little brother was asleep or not. She wondered if he would be a noisy baby or quiet. Would her mama be ok looking after him? Would she be able to look after her mother and baby brother just as she'd said she would? If her father returned, what would his reaction be – would he be angry? What about when he was a little older - would he be in danger at all when the androids came?

The last question made her feel uneasy. There was no way she could let any harm come to him or anyone else. She'd just gained a sibling now so it was all the more important for her to train so she could protect him.

"... Come on, let's go and spend some time with your mama," Dr Brief ushered Hairiyu away from the glass panel.


	45. Chapter 044

**Chapter 044 - The Day That Was Foretold**

Age 767, May 12th.

There it was. Ahead of them, a large island surrounded by a couple of smaller islands appeared in the distance. That had to be the island the guys were all due to meet on; her tracker confirmed her suspicions and the craft closed in on the landmass. Bulma gulped, taking a quick glance over her shoulder before shifting in her seat. "We're here."

The clouds slowly rose above them as their plane descended down to ground level. Hairiyu peered out the window spotting the island they were due to land on. There was a tall peak at one end which overshadowed a relatively large city. The ten-year-old's eyes focused on the city, it seemed quite busy down below. That was bad news if the androids were supposed to show up here...

"I'm taking her down for our final approach," Bulma announced.

Hairiyu heard her baby brother gurgling in his chair and smiled at him, his big blue eyes briefly observing her before finding something else. He'd barely reached his first year but was beginning to become more of a handful for her. She wasn't sure how her mother managed to look after him and still run the Capsule Corp business!

The plane's wheels struck the ground and the engines shut down as it rolled to a stop. Hairiyu released herself from her seatbelt and jumped out of the plane, spotting Yamcha and Tenshinhan were already here.

"Hey guys!" Bulma called as she opened her door. "You look like you've all been working out!"

"We thought it might be you," Yamcha stepped forward, "what are you doing here, Bulma?"

Hairiyu walked over towards Tenshinhan who was standing on the edge of the cliff overlooking the city. "So have they appeared yet?" She asked.

"No sign of them anywhere," Tenshinhan answered, glancing down at her briefly. "... You've grown in height and strength since I last saw you. Good on you, kid."

"What?" Yamcha's loud cry caught both fighter's curiosity and they turned around to look at him. Bulma stood before the warrior with her baby brother in her arms.

"Y-You're kidding me!" Yamcha choked in shock. "You brought your kid along with you?"

"So?" Bulma shrugged her shoulders looking a little smug. "What, don't you trust my judgement? I couldn't leave him at home; he wanted to cheer his big sister on!"

"Bulma that's not the point - neither of you should be here!" Yamcha retaliated.

"... Um..." Tenshinhan butted in intrigued. "... Whose is he, Bulma? The kid I mean... Is he yours, Yamcha?"

"Not mine," Yamcha snorted folding his arms and turning away. "It's Vegeta's!"

Hairiyu pouted. Why did he sound so horrible when he said that? What was wrong with her brother being her dad's child? Was it against the law or something?

"Hey, I was going to tell him!" Bulma grumbled.

"I can't believe it..." Tenshinhan seemed pretty shocked for some reason, Hairiyu not entirely sure why. "Who'd have thought it would happen again?"

Hairiyu was about to speak when four familiar ki signals appeared on the horizon. "... Hey, I can sense some ki coming from over there," she pointed towards the east.

"It might be Goku and the others," Yamcha answered.

The ki signals grew closer, finally becoming visible on the horizon.

"It is them!" Yamcha smiled waving up to the approaching group. "It's Goku!"

Hairiyu turned to fully face them and waved as Gohan and Krillin landed, Goku and Piccolo close behind them.

"Bulma?" Goku exclaimed seeming surprised to see her.

"What took you guys so long?" Yamcha asked half-jokingly, pleased to see them all again as was everyone else.

"I thought it was you guys," Hairiyu smiled walking over to Gohan and Krillin. "Krillin, I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Yeah, it's been a while hasn't it?" Krillin nodded, "You look a lot stronger!"

"I hope I'm a lot stronger otherwise I'm in trouble!" Hairiyu giggled sheepishly.

"Wow, Gohan!" Bulma smiled. "You've gotten so big!"

"You idiot!" Goku squawked. "Why did you tag along?"

Hairiyu'd asked her mother this earlier on; she knew the answer that was coming. Bulma'd insisted she come along to wish her daughter luck during the fight as well as to get a glimpse of the androids. Why she'd brought Trunks along Hairiyu didn't know but she deeply wished she'd left him at home; this place wasn't safe!

"I came to watch of course!" Bulma replied. "Don't worry. I'll go home as soon as I get a look at the androids!"

"Um... Is Bulma carrying what I think she's carrying?" Krillin asked with a strange smile on his face.

"Is it yours, Yamcha?" Gohan asked. "Did you and Bulma get married?"

Hairiyu glared at her friend, annoyed he'd assumed nothing would happen between her parents! It had happened! "He's my brother!" She answered slightly irked. "He's not my half brother!"

"... Don't blame this on me," Yamcha pouted closing his eyes. "We broke up a long time ago. Just wait until she tells you who the father is..."

Hairiyu smiled feeling smug she already knew the answer.

Goku stepped forwards and bent over to glance at the small baby, "I'll bet it's Vegeta – right Trunks?"

Hairiyu's jaw dropped; she noticed her mother flash her a quick glance in the corner of her eye. It wasn't her who'd told him! She had no idea how he knew but knew she was going to get the blame for it!

"How did you know that? I was keeping it a secret from everyone!" Bulma frowned.

Goku took a shaky step back seemingly jittery all of a sudden. "W-Well he kinda looks like Vegeta! Maybe it's the eyes..."

"... Hairiyu didn't tell you, did she?" Bulma probed sounding slightly more annoyed.

"I didn't say anything to anyone!" Hairiyu answered nervously.

"It's ok Bulma, really! It was just a wild guess!" Goku flustered.

"You even got his name right!"

"Wow? Really? What are the chances of that happening?" Goku chuckled. "Maybe I'm psychic?"

"Hmm... If you say so..." Once more Bulma glared at Hairiyu. That meant she was definitely getting the blame for it, no matter how much she and Goku protested her innocence!

"He's really Vegeta's?" Krillin choked in shock. "Wow... Even if you guys already have Hairiyu, I never expected this to happen! I thought Hairiyu was... well..."

Hairiyu's attention turned to the bald warrior curious and a little annoyed. First she was being blamed for something she didn't do and now people were suggesting her brother's birth was impossible to believe? "You thought I was what?" She inquired sternly.

"... I thought it was a one-off!" Krillin finished.

"Speaking of Vegeta..." Piccolo butted in, "where is he?"

"How should I know?" Bulma shrugged her shoulders. "You think I'd live with that jerk? Don't worry though; he was training hard for this fight."

"He's only just come back from space but I haven't seen him around at all," Hairiyu frowned.

"Don't worry, he'll come," Goku smiled confident. "He wouldn't miss a fight!"

"I left Chaozu behind," Tenshinhan muttered. "We both trained but frankly he wouldn't be able to keep up with this battle."

"Yeah, it's better this way," Goku nodded.

"What time is it now?" Gohan asked.

Bulma glanced down to read her watch. "... Half nine. They should appear in under an hour." She answered.

Nine-thirty. They had half an hour until the battle began. Hairiyu felt a lump emerge in her throat and swallowed hard, now was not the time for nerves. She'd trained long and hard for this day and was not going to let her worries and doubts get the better of her now!

"... You should go home Bulma," Goku warned, "You've brought your baby with you; go now while you still can."

"I said I'm not going until I see the androids!" Bulma answered decisively. "I still have half an hour!"

-

The group had no option but to wait for the remaining thirty minutes to pass.

"So you're a sister now?" Gohan asked.

"Yep," Hairiyu nodded. She, Gohan, Krillin, Goku and Yamcha had all crowded Bulma and baby Trunks.

"So what happened to his tail?" Krillin asked. "Did you cut it off?"

"No, he wasn't born with one," Bulma replied, "Strange, huh? He came out looking completely human!"

"Wow... Bizarre," Krillin mumbled.

Hairiyu knelt down to her brother's level and held out one finger, "Hey Trunks, you're nearly a year old, aren't you?" She smiled as the chubby baby's fingers latched around hers, squeezing tightly. "Wow, you're pretty strong!" She giggled. "I bet you could beat the androids!"

Gohan bent down and began to pull faces at Trunks; the young baby laughing in amusement.

"I think he likes you, Gohan!" Hairiyu grinned as she stepped back. "Trunks doesn't laugh when I pull faces at him; he just stares at me!"

"Hey, you should give it a try too, Krillin," Gohan suggested stepping back.

"Me?" Krillin scratched his head. "I dunno, I wouldn't know what to say to make him laugh!"

Trunks pointed towards Krillin and began to laugh harder than before. Hairiyu quickly realised he'd found the sun reflecting off the small fighter's head funny and tried her best to contain her own laughter!

"I haven't even done anything..." Krillin mumbled closing his eyes with a pout, Gohan and Hairiyu struggling to stifle their own laughter.

"You're a natural with kids, Krillin!" Gohan chuckled.

"Someone's coming," Piccolo interrupted them, speaking to no one in particular as he watched over the city below. "I sense no malice..."

The remaining fighters all looked over, able to sense the approaching ki – apart from Bulma!

"Maybe it's Vegeta," Gohan suggested.

"Uh-uh; he's pure malice!" Krillin snorted.

A small speck appeared on the horizon and slowly made its way closer towards them. Hairiyu gulped and clenched her fists; she didn't recognise it and wasn't sure whether to trust it, even if there was no malice!

It turned out to be a small jet-car; a small man sat in the driver's seat, long hair dancing in the wind. Hairiyu thought she recognised him but wasn't sure where from.

"It's Yajirobe!" Goku realised.

The jet landed on the small outcrop and shut off its engines, Yajirobe jumping out the door. "I'm glad I made it in time!"

Hairiyu remembered his burly gruff voice and realised he'd been the man during the fight with her dad who'd cut his tail off! Now that she thought about it, he hadn't changed his appearance at all!

"Did you come to fight with us?" Goku asked eagerly.

Yajirobe glared at the excited warrior for a moment before reaching for something in his clothes. He pulled out a small sack, "Here you go. Senzu beans from Master Korin!"

"Great, thanks a lot!" Goku smiled taking the small bag from the samurai. "You can always count on Korin!"

_'Senzu beans?'_ Hairiyu repeated to herself. _'Oh! Those gross-tasting beans that restore your power!'_ She remembered those from back on Namek and scrunched her face up at the memory.

The slamming door made her jump back to reality as Yajirobe started up his engines. "Good luck fighting those androids!"

"A-Aren't you gonna stay?" Goku asked.

"Are you nuts?" Yajirobe snorted. "Unlike you idiots I don't want to die! There are times when even I won't join you!" And with that, he took off, car shooting forwards off the edge of the outcrop and off into the air. Hairiyu watched as the car became a dot, not paying much attention to all the small-talk between the adults behind her. Her eyes quickly darted back down to the city below them; so far nothing out of the ordinary appeared to have happened.

"... Something's not right," Tenshinhan spoke, "It's past ten already yet there's no sign of the enemy at all."

Hairiyu looked up at the seasoned fighter before turning back to the city.

"You're right..." Gohan mumbled.

What was going on? Had that guy from the future got the time wrong or the place? Hairiyu raised an eyebrow as she desperately scanned the city below. Still there was nothing out of the ordinary.

"I knew it!" Yamcha smirked. "I told you from the start this was some kind of trick!"

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions just yet," Bulma replied, "He said it was around ten. It's only ten-seventeen now, which I would class as being around ten..."

"Sorry Bulma but I can't sense any strong power levels," Yamcha answered with certainty and confidence. "If they're as powerful as that kid said, we should be able to sense them anywhere on the planet!"

Hairiyu frowned; it was true. She couldn't sense any strong ki around apart from those belonging to their group. What had gone wrong?

Yamcha continued, "I hate to break it to you but the androids aren't coming."

Almost as if the irony had decided to answer back, there was an explosion relatively high up in the sky. The suddenness of it had almost made Hairiyu jump out of her skin! She watched as a relatively large object emerged from the dark smoke, falling towards the sea just off the shores of the island.

"W-What happened?" Goku cried in shock.

"It's Yajirobe!" Krillin gasped.

Hairiyu couldn't believe it! Her brain felt frazzled; this whole time she hadn't been able to sense any other ki! Had something caused Yajirobe's car to malfunction and blow up? No, it had been too big an explosion for something like that. He could only have been attacked but by what? She sensed no ki! It didn't make sense!

"Look! There's something there!" Piccolo bellowed. "They've already attacked!"

Through the dark thick smoke Hairiyu could see two tiny dots high in the sky, around the same height as Yajirobe's car had been. They quickly vanished into the city below, her eyes quickly losing sight of them.

"D-Did you see them?" Krillin grumbled.

"No, they were too far away; I couldn't tell what they looked like," Goku shook his head. "I don't get it! I didn't feel any ki at all!"

Hairiyu was glad she wasn't the only one, but still it didn't solve the problem! How were they supposed to find these people? She still couldn't sense them!

"... Maybe it's because they're androids!" Gohan realised. "They don't have any ki to detect!"

"Eh?" Hairiyu gasped, contemplating the idea and quickly catching onto what Gohan was suggesting. "... Yeah! Androids were never living beings – they were created so they don't have any living ki!"

"No way!" Yamcha choked, "How are we meant to find these things if we can't sense them?"

"We'll have to rely on the old fashioned way," Piccolo relied, "We'll have to look for them with our eyes!"

"Alright, let's spread out!" Goku decided. "Don't try to take them on by yourselves – If you find them, let everyone know right away!"

This was beginning to sound more and more hopeless to the ten-year-old girl. Hairiyu had her doubts about this; the city looked so big from up here! How were they meant to find two people in a city this size?

"Gohan, go tend to Yajirobe – he's still alive!" Goku added.

"Let's go!" Piccolo yelled.

Hairiyu charged forwards alongside the other fighters (not having the time to acknowledge her mother's call of "be careful"), picking a spot in the city to aim for. There was a relatively tall building off in the centre of the city; she headed for it and landed on the pavement, unintentionally startling the people around her! She hadn't meant to have caused a scene but her attention and focus stayed on the androids. They were somewhere in this city and she had to help the others find them!

"... Where do I start?" She mumbled quietly to herself, looking around at the tall buildings surrounding her. What direction should he head in? What if she did find the androids? What had Goku meant by telling everyone right away? Was she supposed to find the others... no, then she'd lose sight of the androids! What should she do?

She had to find them first.

"Hey kid... how'd you do that?" A teenage boy approached her.

Completely oblivious to his question, Hairiyu walked towards a clearing between the buildings and down a busy street, crossing the road along with all the other pedestrians via the crossing! She may have been in a rush but she wasn't going to let her street-wise senses fall. Maybe it was a good idea to try and blend in with the other people around here; maybe that's what the androids were doing too.

How would she know who they were if she found them? They could look like anyone! The more questions she thought of, the more anxious she became. What was worse was that she was alone. If anything happened to her, she'd have to defend herself with no one else's help. The thought worried her; these androids were meant to be really strong – stronger than Freeza!

_'... I really need to stop thinking!'_ She noted to herself; it was just making her feel worse!

Hairiyu continued to walk down the crowded street, keeping her eyes peeled for anyone she thought could be an android. Maybe they would have distinguishing features; Frankenstein had bolts in his neck and he was created – maybe these androids would be similar? Maybe she was struggling to work out what they'd look like!

A ki in the area suddenly began to plummet; Hairiyu's attention quickly turned to the direction it was coming in. It had to be them! The androids had to be the cause! She quickly began to run down the street before taking off in a small gap in the crowd, again startling several pedestrians! She could see the area the ki was coming from; it wasn't too far; out of the corner of her eye she spotted she was converging alongside Goku – at least she was now with something strong.

As both fighters feet touched the ground, they were immediately joined by Piccolo, Krillin and Tenshinhan.

Hairiyu gasped and almost gagged in sickness and horror.

"Y-Yamcha!" Goku cried.

Yamcha was hanging limp in the air, held up by an old man who seemed to show little effort in holding him with a single hand. There was a gaping hole in Yamcha's back, blood pouring from it. The man who held him had blood dripping down his free hand.

These were them. These were the androids.


	46. Chapter 045

**Chapter 045 - Revenge of the Red Ribbon Army**

Yamcha's ki was severely weakened and critical; if they didn't get him help now he would certainly die. Blood spilt onto the ground in a small crimson pool by his feet, seeping through the large hole in his back. Hairiyu stared wide-eyed in horror and disgust able to see through to the other side. She felt her gagging reflex struggling not to be set off but stubbornly attempted to ignore it. Easier said than done. It had been a while since she'd seen such a brutal injury and becoming more grown-up did not make it any easier to see.

The aged, bearded man released his grip and let Yamcha drop to the floor, the impaled fighter collapsing heavily onto his back. He wasn't moving and his ki flickered dangerously.

"Krillin, Yamcha's still alive! I left the senzu back with Bulma – take him to her and get him one!" Goku ordered.

"R-Right," Krillin nodded, cautiously rushing forwards towards his fallen comrade and slinging him over his shoulder gingerly. He took a quick glare at the two androids before taking off back towards the large towering mountain on the edge of the city.

Hairiyu kept her eyes on the two strange men before them – the men they assumed were the androids. The old man had a bushy white moustache and a mean look whilst his accomplice didn't look so human in appearance, having pure white skin and looking a little rounder. Both wore bizarre clothing; clothing of which would make them stand out in a crowd. Each bore a strange red bow with 'RR' written inside of it in white. Hairiyu wondered what that stood for...

"So you're the androids..." Piccolo muttered breaking the silence. "We get to see you at long last!"

The old android seemed surprised by this remark. "... Interesting. You knew we were mechanical and you seemed to know we would appear here... How?"

The young girl wasn't sure how strong these androids were because they had no ki for her to use as a reference. She couldn't tell if they'd held back against Yamcha and it frustrated her. She'd become so accustomed to using her sensing ability to determine her opponent's power level. The loss of this just made her even more uncertain.

"You'll have to beat it out of us!" Piccolo answered sternly.

"... We'll do that," The android replied apparently indifferent to the change in tone in Piccolo's voice.

Piccolo and Tenshinhan put up their guard, Hairiyu mimicking the older fighters. It was four on two; maybe they'd hold an advantage over them, especially since Goku and Piccolo were here.

"Wait!" Goku cried calling a stop to the almost inevitable attack. "There are too many people here! Let's move to a more deserted area!"

"Good point..." Hairiyu mumbled. This city was still packed full of innocent bystanders who'd never stand a chance of survival if they fought here. They had to fight in a place free of innocent people!

"How about it then?" Goku asked nervously speaking more to the two murderers than anyone else.

"A deserted area?" The older android repeated. "That's fine – but we won't need to move!"

With little warning a duo of beams shot straight from his eyes! The shots narrowly missed Goku and Tenshinhan who'd almost been caught off-guard; Hairiyu felt her heart thump in her chest as she realised what was about to happen. The beams of ki struck a nearby building, destroying it and the many lives inside of it. Several tiny ki signals vanished as the building collapsed. The android continued to fire off these attacks in rapid succession; a nearby petrol station was hit and erupted into flame with a deafening explosion. Quickly the entire area was shrouded in thick smoke accompanied by a deafening roar from the explosions. Amidst the confusion Hairiyu covered her mouth as she choked on the pungent smoke; fumes mixed in with the dust. She couldn't keep her eyes open and wouldn't have been able to see the androids from where she stood. What if they suddenly attacked?

"Stop it!" Goku was heard bellowing over the loud tremours as several more buildings were stricken and fell.

Hairiyu took a couple of steps forwards joining Piccolo's side; here she found it far easier to breathe and opened her eyes cautiously. She couldn't see the destruction caused due to the large plumes of smoke in front of them.

Goku'd attacked and had stopped the android's onslaught now standing a couple of inches away from the fallen machine; he'd managed to knock his large black hat clean off in the process. The top of the man's mechanical head caused Hairiyu to double-take in disgust and yet she found herself fixated and fascinated. The top half of his head was composed of what appeared to be a glass dome. Hairiyu was almost certain she was indeed looking at a human brain encased inside the dome; glancing at it for too long sent shivers down her spine and made her squirm in discomfort yet she felt compelled to stare. Needing to focus on something else she took a quick look at Goku, almost taking a step back in shock. She hadn't seen Goku look so angry in a long time.

"You monster!" Goku snapped as the android retrieved his strange hat, placing it back on his head.

"You said you wanted a deserted area," the android replied. "I was only aiming to please!"

Hairiyu's fists clenched tightly into balls at this remark, "You just wanted an excuse to cause some damage!" She spat. "What did these people ever do to you?"

"Foolish child," the android's emotionless eyes fell on her, "we were created by the great Dr. Gero to exterminate all life on Earth and to take revenge on Son Goku. Goku wanted a deserted area so I tried to provide him one!"

"That's enough!" Goku bellowed venomously. "Just follow us – we'll tear you to pieces!"

"You cannot defeat us," the rounder android smiled; this was the first show of emotion Hairiyu'd seen either of them display. So they were capable of human feelings? Maybe she was jumping the gun a little.

"We shall follow you..." The older android decided. "Choose your place of death, Son Goku."

"H-How did he know his name?" Tenshinhan asked shocked. He, Goku and Piccolo all seemed surprised. Hairiyu wasn't so sure why; she always assumed Goku was well-known by fighters!

"We know you all..." The android answered, "Piccolo... and Tenshinhan... and Hairiyu."

Now she was surprised! How on earth did this android know about her? She didn't get it!

The sound of sirens reached her ears and she glanced to her left; several police cars seemed to be heading towards them, obviously unable to resist the sounds and sight of an explosion. Panic quickly struck her; did that mean they'd now all be arrested for being at the scene of the crime?

"... We'll ask questions later! Let's go!" Goku ordered, bolting full force into the sky, the androids hot on his heels.

With a head full of unanswered questions, Hairiyu followed as fast as she could alongside Piccolo and Tenshinhan, relieved she wasn't finding it too difficult to keep up with them!

The flight took them over the open ocean and over several small islands, eventually leading them to and across the mainland. Hairiyu was sure she could sense they were being followed but couldn't focus enough of her attention to it; she didn't trust having to fly behind these androids considering she'd seen how dirty they played. She was still seething with anger from the needless slaughter of many lives in that city. She'd come to detest mindless destruction and saw it as a sign of cowardice; strong fighters picking on the weak and defenceless was disgusting and dishonourable – especially when it was unprovoked! She'd seen far too much needless killing on Namek; at the time it had scared her and made her grieve. Looking back on it made her feel sick and angered her.

The terrain below began to grow more complex as flat plains became clustered outcrops and twisting caverns.

The androids suddenly vanished from in front of her eyes; Hairiyu stopped reflexively. Goku, Piccolo and Tenshinhan all began to make their way to the ground, the young girl followed. She saw the androids reappear, landing softly on the ground. Her own feet struck dirt and scattered a light cloud of dust as she landed beside Tenshinhan and Goku.  
Her eyes scanned their surroundings. They were in a small clearing but surrounded by rocks from all corners. They would make decent hiding places if the androids would try to escape... or if worst came to worst and she needed to make a run for it!

"Before we fight, tell me one thing..." Goku spoke breaking the silence. "How do you know about us?"

"... There's no harm in answering, though you may regret having ever asked." the older android replied. From the way he and the other android behaved, Hairiyu was beginning to think the older-looking android was the boss of the duo. The rounder android had barely done anything and had only spoken once!

"We have been watching you for a long time Son Goku, with tiny little robot spies," the older android explained, "During the Tenkaichi Budokai martial arts tournaments and the battles with Piccolo and Vegeta. From the time you destroyed the Red Ribbon Army we looked for your weaknesses and sought to know what kind of androids would beat you!"

Hairiyu perked up on a number of times over his explanation. So he knew about her father too? She'd remember hearing about the Red Ribbon Army from her mother; the guy from the future had mentioned them as well! Maybe that was what the RR stood for on their clothes; the Red Ribbon Army's logo! Next was those robot spies he'd mentioned... She'd been at the fight with Vegeta – she'd never seen any robot spies! Just how fantastic had the Red Ribbon Army's technology been?

"So it was all because of a grudge against me?" Goku asked with a huff.

The hint of weariness in his voice had not been ignored but it was only now Hairiyu consciously focused on Goku's breathing; he was sounding so laboured she could hear it from where she was standing! Was he tired from the flight here? That had been nothing even for her... so why was he breathing hard?

"Because of you, the Red Ribbon Army's dream of world domination was snuffed!" The android snarled. "Only Dr Gero remained!"

"You're talking as if you were Dr Gero yourself..." Piccolo muttered.

Hairiyu watched carefully; the android seemed to display a faint form of surprise for the briefest of moments before it vanished.

"Ridiculous!" The android snorted. "I am Android Twenty, created by Dr Gero. Dr Gero is no more."

"Did you spy on me on Namek too?" Goku asked.

"There was no need," Android Twenty replied. "By that time we had complied a complete understanding of your strength and skills. Even projecting the most extreme rate of improvement for an adult combatant, we know the full extent of the power you may wield."

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow puzzled. This android spoke in a strange manner. His use of words made him sound like some kind of academic to her. On the other hand this sounded like a perfect opportunity for them. Hairiyu couldn't help but smile smug; if what these guys were saying was true, they were in for a bit of a shock!

Goku seemed confident. "Too bad you didn't stick with your project. You missed something."

"What?" Android Twenty once again seemed to be caught by surprise. Hairiyu couldn't help but think how amazing it was that a living machine could express real human emotion...

"It'll prove to be a fatal mistake for you guys..." Piccolo smiled assertively, "... not to know about the Super Saiyan."

"... Super Saiyan?" The android echoed.

With a fierce bellow Goku's ki skyrocketed up; Hairiyu putting up her defences anticipating the strong shockwaves which usually seemed to accompany this transformation. She sensed his power strike that particular peak and watched as Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan; the force of his energy knocking dust into the air. The shockwaves had reached the androids too yet they seemed unhindered and even indifferent by the humungous jump in Goku's ki.

"I see..." Android Twenty muttered.

Hairiyu growled and frowned at the androids before them; they could at least show some signs of fear! Perhaps when Goku would reach full power they'd be shaking! She'd questioned why he hadn't gone straight to full power but put it down to him testing the android's capabilities. After all they didn't know the full extent of the android's powers; maybe it was unwise to challenge them at full strength from the start...

"Stay out of this you three," Goku ordered, "I'm the one they want!"

"Indeed it does seem like you've managed quite an improvement," Android Twenty spoke. "Your power has far surpassed the calculated limits. Fortunately we are up to it; even Android Nineteen can handle power such as this, as of course can I."

"Oh really?" Goku asked curious, "Let me find that out for myself!"

The Super Saiyan charged forwards.

In a flash, the rounder android had struck out a palm yet Goku'd anticipated it and now stood behind him, elbowing the stunned android in the back and sending him shooting forwards into a far-off boulder.

_'Go Goku!_ Hairiyu cheered him on in her mind, indeed the android had no doubt underestimated Goku's capabilities.

Seconds later the android was back on his feet and charged Goku; Goku stopping him with just one hand and booting him up into the sky. Up here the fight continued; Goku unrelenting as he dominated his opponent.

"Astounding," Tenshinhan muttered in awe. "I never knew what being a Super Saiyan meant! It's as if he's in a different dimension to us!"

"This is nothing; Goku gets even stronger than this!" Hairiyu beamed certain things were going well.

"... It's unreal..." Tenshinhan exhaled almost breathlessly.

Three incoming ki signals quickly caught Hairiyu's awareness; she turned around to see Gohan, Krillin and Yamcha land behind them.

"Dad!" Gohan cried rushing forwards anxiously.

"It's ok," Tenshinhan smiled, "His power is incredible! Being a Super Saiyan must be something else; he's completely overwhelming that android! They talked a great fight but they're nothing against Goku!"

Goku was battering the android, knocking him around rather violently. Hairiyu was too absorbed in the fight to properly register what the others were saying in the background; she had other things on her mind and was growing a little confused and concerned. Something seemed strange about the way Goku was fighting. All his hits were incredibly powerful as if he was going for the win, yet his power said otherwise...

"Have you noticed it too Gohan?" Piccolo asked.

"Huh?" Gohan seemed surprised from what Hairiyu could tell. "Oh... Yeah, I noticed."

So she wasn't the only one.

"Goku's rushing the battle for some reason," Piccolo confirmed it, "He's already giving it all he's got... but look at how weak he is!"

"W-Weak? Did you say weak?" Tenshinhan spluttered. "Look at him – he's overwhelming the android!"

"This is nothing," Piccolo answered, "His power should be far more staggering as a Super Saiyan."

"Yamcha thought they drain energy," Gohan mentioned, "Could that be the reason?"

"They what?" Piccolo gasped; Hairiyu mimicking her mentor's shock. Draining energy? Was that even possible?

A loud crash not too far from them sent another cloud of dust swooping over the group. Through the dirty cloud Hairiyu could see the silhouette of the fallen android getting back to his feet. She began to grow concerned for Goku; had this android been stealing his power? Was that why he wasn't at full power? She wasn't sure; it didn't explain why he'd be worn out when they'd first arrived... unless that other android had the same powers too. Goku had struck him in the face earlier.

"Look at him!" Yamcha growled disappointed and slightly irritated. "He doesn't even care about the beating he's getting!"

"Well he's an android," Tenshinhan replied, "He doesn't feel any pain or fatigue."

Up above Goku looked tired. Something was wrong and she didn't like it! It seemed Goku probably knew this as well; he'd drawn his hands back for that familiar ki attack.

"Ka... Me... Ha... Me..." The power surge made it obvious; still it wasn't his full capability. At this level of power Hairiyu wasn't sure if this Kamehameha would end the fight; the android so far had taken everything Goku'd given him and shrugged it off and it was obvious Goku was running short on ideas.

"HAA!" Goku cried, firing off a Kamehameha towards the android.

His behaviour baffled the young girl; the android grinned and extended one hand out. Was he really expecting to stop the blast with one hand?

To hers and everyone else's shock; the Kamehameha struck the android head-on yet didn't explode on impact; the energy seemed to be drawn into the android's extended hand! Within a couple of seconds the entire beam was cancelled out, the android breathing out a satisfied relief.

"W-What just happened?" Hairiyu exclaimed mystified.

"He absorbed it!" Tenshinhan cried.

"I was right!" Yamcha gasped. "They take energy through their hands! It's the same thing as what happened to me!"

"Absorb energy..." Hairiyu repeated. These machines had no ki of their own to speak of yet they were able to steal the ki of living beings? Again she was overcome by the technological feat! She'd come from a family swallowed up by the latest and most complicated technological designs – what she was seeing right now had seemed like an impossibility to her and her family!

She hated to admit it but this Dr. Gero guy was a genius.


	47. Chapter 046

**Chapter 046 - Goku's Ailment **

"Goku, don't use any energy attacks!" Piccolo bellowed up towards the tired Super Saiyan. "They absorb your power through their hands! Don't let them grab you! Do you understand?"

Hairiyu was growing increasingly worried. Goku'd looked tired even before he'd launched that Kamehameha. His breathing seemed shallow and fast; even from where she was standing she could see he was struggling.

"What's wrong with Goku?" Krillin asked mirroring everyone's thoughts. "He's acting weird! Did his ki get drained that much already?"

"No, they haven't grabbed him once!" Piccolo shook his head.

"Oh!" Gohan's sudden exclamation confused Hairiyu. She waited for something to lead from the noise but Gohan stayed quiet. She couldn't fathom out what had just gone through his mind!

Android Nineteen suddenly bolted up into the sky and went on the offensive. Goku dodged the initial attack but his own strike failed to hit – the android landed a successful blow to his stomach before beginning to overwhelm the tired Super Saiyan. In a terrifying strike, Goku was sent straight at the ground. He only just managed to gain control inches from the dirt and instantly drew back his hands again-

"GOKU, DON'T!" Piccolo was quick off the mark, rightly anticipating another Kamehameha.

The yell seemed to shock Goku and he reluctantly let his hands drop. Now he looked more exhausted than ever.

"What's wrong with your dad?" Hairiyu turned to Gohan, irked that he still hadn't explained his sudden outburst!

"... I think... I think it might be that..." Gohan replied in half sentences, eyes fixated on his father.

"... Might be what?" Hairiyu asked frustrated and puzzled. She glanced back to Goku and gasped, noticing he was now holding his chest. Was he hurt from the android's attacks?

"No! I knew it!" Gohan cried. "Dad is sick! It's his heart!"

"His heart?" Hairiyu repeated confused. "What about it?"

"Don't you remember what that guy from the future said?" Gohan asked baffled. "He said my dad would soon become sick and die of a heart virus!"

"Of course!" Piccolo realised. "Goku must be coming down with it now!"

"That's ridiculous!" Krillin protested. "The medicine that kid gave him made him better, didn't it? They just stole his energy, that's all!" He reached into his shirt and took out the small pouch of senzu beans. "Don't worry Gohan, we can fix your dad right up!"

Something moved out of the corner of her eye; Goku'd just landed in front of them. His breathing was loud and shallow and every-so-often the hand on his chest would clench tighter. He fell to one knee, supporting himself as best as he could; he looked like he was in pain.

"Daddy!" Gohan cried in alarm.

"... Gohan... stay!" Goku exhaled hard.

"Goku! Catch!" Krillin yelled, tossing one of the senzu beans towards the suffering Super Saiyan.

Goku caught the bean, "Thanks Krillin..."

Hairiyu watched as the Earth-nurtured Saiyan ate the bean, waiting to feel his ki burst up to its usual overwhelming Super Saiyan feel. The increase and restoration happened yet it wasn't as nearly as steep as she'd anticipated, something which immediately concerned her and no doubt everyone beside her.

"So that's the senzu that restores energy and heals wounds..." Android Twenty muttered loudly.

Android Nineteen's eyes suddenly flashed as he shot out a twin beam; Goku dodging, caught up in the smoke for a moment before shooting into the sky. The dust shot towards the watching crowd; Hairiyu once again having to shield her eyes. Through the confusion she sensed Goku's ki take a sharp plunge; he'd taken another hit. He narrowly avoided striking the ground, instead landing heavily on his hands and knees and dispelling the dust. To her horror he looked even worse than before, his breathing fast and shallow.

"The senzu didn't work?" Yamcha cried.

"It's his heart – it has to be!" Gohan exclaimed.

"How can it be?" Krillin asked baffled. "That kid from the future gave him medicine which would cure it! Why didn't it work?"

"Dad never got sick," Gohan replied, "he was healthy the whole time, so he never took it!"

"It looks like the guy from the future's premonition was a little off!" Piccolo snarled.

Hairiyu turned back nervously to watch the fight; Goku was struck back by the android and sent crashing across the ground on his back, dragging up dirt and slowly coming to a halt. His hair darkened and changed form as his Super Saiyan state was completely lost.

"He can't stay as a Super Saiyan anymore!" Yamcha cried.

Goku struggled to sit up, barely glancing over his own chest before he was pinned down by Android Nineteen.

Hairiyu immediately took a step forward, dragged back by Piccolo. "Stay put! It's not over yet!" He bellowed.

"He can't move!" Hairiyu protested.

The android's hand grabbed hold of Goku's neck. The steady drop in the Saiyan's ki confirmed what Yamcha and the others had said – these androids really could drain energy through their palms, even if it wasn't pure energy!

"Piccolo!" Hairiyu cried loudly in frustration, expecting the Namekian to step in and help. He was next in strength to Goku after all.

"Blast it! His energy's being taken!" Piccolo clenched his teeth. "That's it, Goku needs our help!" He released the struggling girl and dashed forwards, Hairiyu hot on his heels alongside everyone else.

Within a flash, Android Twenty had teleported and now blocked their path. "You won't be going an inch past me but you are welcome to try..."

Hairiyu clenched her fists perturbed, baring her teeth. They had to get to Goku; his life energy was beginning to wither! There had to be something they could do to help him! Yet this android was fast and strong, would anyone here stand a chance?

"I will."

Piccolo rushed the android with a kick; the android dodged and shot two beams from his eyes, striking Piccolo straight through the chest. Wounded the Namekian warrior fell to the ground, crashing on his back.

"Piccolo!" Gohan screamed dashing down after his mentor.

That was it! She wasn't going to just stand around anymore! "You monster!" Hairiyu bellowed out, dashing forwards for the android. He saw her fist coming and dodged, Hairiyu keeping her eyes on him as best she could. She spun on the spot and tossed out a kick –

A powerful strike hit her in the stomach, sending her head-over-heels through mid-air. Her disorientation passed quickly enough for her to execute a safe landing to the ground, glaring back up at the group above them. Her stomach made her reel over and she began to cough, blood raining on the ground below her as she clenched her wound with one arm.

"Hairiyu! Stand up!"

The girl looked ahead; Gohan was kneeling over Piccolo looking in her direction; it had been his voice she'd heard.

Listening to her friend's goads, she swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to rise, standing on her feet albeit a little shaky. The android seemed distracted, maybe now she could go to Goku!

Her head turned, eyes falling on the android and Goku. The android still had Goku pinned to the ground, still sucking the life out of him with a gleeful smile on his face.

Then the android was gone, decked across the ground with incredible force.

Her father landed by Goku's side.

She couldn't believe her eyes, feeling her jaw drop and her breath catch in her throat. "... Dad?" She gasped.

"I'm the one who's going to kill Kakarrot!" He declared. "I won't lose my revenge to a bunch of cheap toys!"

She heard several of the others utter her father's name, all shocked to see the Saiyan. She herself had completely forgotten he was still here on the planet! He'd only been home when he'd finally returned from space a couple of months ago and since then he'd completely vanished, not showing his face at Capsule Corp at all. She eyed him up; he seemed his usual confident self from what she could see.

Hairiyu wondered how he'd fare up against these androids.

"Piccolo!"

Hairiyu glanced around and blinked in surprise and shock; Piccolo was getting to his feet! She was certain he'd been critically wounded, especially since his ki had plummeted! Yet he seemed absolutely fine... What was going on?

"Just when I had them distracted from Goku with my 'defeat', that damn Vegeta just has to butt in!" Piccolo muttered irritated, though a smile was on his face.

"You mean... You weren't injured?" Gohan asked stunned.

"I don't care how strong they are, it'll take more than that to bring me down!" Piccolo snorted.

Hairiyu stared at her mentor briefly, impressed with his tactics, before turning her attention back to Goku and her father. Goku wasn't making any attempt to move and his eyes were closed. Panic began to grip her; was he still conscious?

"I saw everything..." Vegeta muttered, speaking more to Goku than anyone else, "... You noted the abnormality in your body but you turned Super Saiyan anyway! You fool! You knew it would put more strain on your heart!" He paused for a moment. "... My target has always been you Kakarrot..."

With no warning the Saiyan Prince kicked Goku clean off the ground, much to Hairiyu'd distain and shock. Thankfully Piccolo caught the weakened warrior and placed him down onto the ground.

Her walk broke into a run as she joined Gohan and the others around the fallen fighter, concerned over his wellbeing.

"Hold on dad, hold on!" Gohan cried.

"Someone drag him home and get him his medicine!" Vegeta barked at the group.

"It's going to be ok dad, I'm taking you home!" Gohan decided.

"No... let me," Yamcha stepped forward, "after all, I seem to be the least bit useful here..."

Gohan reciprocated and handed his father over to the tall warrior. Hairiyu felt terrible for them both and put a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "He'll be ok. Yamcha will make sure your dad gets his medicine..."

"Of course I will," Yamcha nodded.

"The boy from the future said the disease was viral, so there's a chance you could get it," Piccolo instructed. "You should take some of the medicine too."

"Right, thanks Piccolo."

"I'm counting on you, Yamcha," Gohan muttered.

"Good luck you guys," Yamcha took to the sky slowly.

"Get better soon, Goku!" Krillin called.

Hairiyu watched with mixed emotions. On the one hand Goku's life was in danger and she hoped for Gohan and Chichi's sake he made it and got better. On the other hand she was reluctant to see him go; he was their strongest fighter. She'd always felt a sense of security with him around on the battlefield so it was worrying to see him leave...

"Let them go; they pose no threat..."

The androids still needed to be dealt with and with Goku and Yamcha now gone they were two warriors down. Her eyes drifted over to them; android Twenty had since landed back on the ground and was speaking to the rounder android. The panging sensation in her stomach reminded her of the injury he'd given her and she took in a deep breath, determined not to let him do that again. At least now she had an idea of how much their hits would hurt!

"It might be more fun to save the best for last... In the mean time let's clear up these pesky flies! Now that Vegeta's joined them, things may be a little more interesting..."

"Hey..." Krillin mumbled quietly, "Shouldn't we retreat for the time being?"

Hairiyu glanced over to him surprised; retreat? How could they retreat now when the androids were right here?

"I mean, that guy from the future said we fought the androids without Goku and only Gohan and Hairiyu survived! All of us – including Vegeta – got killed! The details are different but this is the same situation!"

"If we leave now then they'll go on a rampage like they did in that city," Gohan argued.

"We just ought to wait until Goku gets better," Krillin replied.

"... But how long will that take?" Hairiyu asked disheartened. "He might be ill for weeks – lots of people will end up dying!"

"Events may not turn out as that visitor said they would," Piccolo butted in, "The timing of Goku's illness was a major difference; his coming probably changed the course of history in subtle ways!"

Changing history? That was what that boy's mission had been about in the first place.  
Hairiyu gulped and hoped that Piccolo was right. They were two fighters down but had gained another ally. Her father was supposedly one of the stronger fighters but even she felt a little nervous about him fighting; he hadn't always been able to stand up to their opponents. Would this time be any different?


	48. Chapter 047

**Chapter 047 - Return of the Saiyan Prince**

"Number Twenty, may I please dispose of Vegeta?"

Android Nineteen had spoken out, his words made a sharp indentation inside of Hairiyu. Her father was to be the next target.

"You're being greedy," Android Twenty replied. "You've already multiplied your power through absorbing Son Goku's power... Well, go ahead. The rest of them are mine!"

The fatter android seemed pleased with this and turned to Vegeta, putting up his guard. Vegeta didn't move at all, arms stayed folded and smirk remained. Hairiyu swallowed and tensely kept her eyes on the fighters.

"... From my limited observations of your fight with Kakarrot, I've seen that your legends far outstrip the reality..." Vegeta muttered, arms falling to his side. "The palms of your hands seem to draw in life energy; I'll need to watch out for those. Well if I can't blast you away I'll just have to pound you into a pulp, that's all!"

"You say you were watching the whole time but you missed the part that mattered," the android replied. "We know your capabilities Vegeta."

"So you say," Vegeta retaliated, "but you seemed awfully surprised when Kakarrot turned into a Super Saiyan. You missed our battles in space; your bonehead creator chose a fine chapter to omit from your memory banks! Thought your mathematical projections would tell you all you needed to know? We Saiyans can't be reduced to numbers..."

He sounded very confident. Hairiyu closely watched and listened to her father, peaking interest in what he was getting at. He only seemed to come across as confident and cocky during a fight he knew or thought he could win...

"I'm curious..." Vegeta clenched his fists, "can androids feel fear?"

Vegeta's ki staggered, causing the breath in Hairiyu's throat to catch in utter shock. The ground began to tremble as his energy climbed higher and higher, Krillin's voice barely heard over the deafening roar, "You've gotta be kidding me! I don't believe it!"

The android staggered as he was blown off his feet by the surge of power.

Before them in a small crater, Vegeta stood firmly. His hair was blonde, his eyes turquoise, his ki incredibly overwhelming and with that new but familiar characteristic to it.

Vegeta was a Super Saiyan.

"Him too?" Android Twenty exclaimed.

"Vegeta's a Super Saiyan?" Gohan cried in disbelief.

One corner of her mouth arched upwards as she took it in. Her dad was a Super Saiyan. "... Wow..." she whispered almost breathlessly. Hairiyu'd suddenly felt a wave of pride hit her; her dad had become a Super Saiyan!

"What's going on?" Krillin clearly didn't sound as happy as Hairiyu felt! "Why is he a Super Saiyan? I thought you had to have a pure heart!"

"My heart is pure... pure evil!" Vegeta answered. "I desired nothing but to be stronger, I endured a training from Hell, even choosing to train out in space! I soon ran into a wall – reaching my own limits. It infuriated me I would never be able to become strong enough to overcome Kakarrot; the fury I felt towards myself was what triggered it. My fury brought me to becoming a Super Saiyan... I was overjoyed; I'd finally surpassed Kakarrot and could rise once again to be the true Saiyan ruler!"

"Enough prattle..." Android Twenty interrupted. "Turn into what you will. You are still no match for us, just like Son Goku."

With little warning Android Nineteen lunged forwards and flew straight for Vegeta. The Super Saiyan stood his ground. Nineteen's fist struck him clean in the face; Vegeta staggered back a couple of steps.

"Dad!" Hairiyu gasped anxiously.

Vegeta leaned forwards once again standing upright, a small trickle of blood barely leaving his smirk. He seemed indifferent from the attack much to Hairiyu's relief. "... I guess that's all I could expect."

The android seemed surprised, if surprise was something it could express.

"I forgot to mention... When I become a Super Saiyan my ferocity increases too; we enter a certain ecstatic state you see..." Vegeta jeered, "You androids don't feel pain do you? You're lucky."

Android Nineteen choked out as Vegeta's foot shot forward and left a rather impressionable dent in the android's back. His elbow connected with the android's cheek, then a kick to the chin sent him sliding rapidly across the ground in a heap.

"... Awesome..." Hairiyu mumbled mesmerised. A small twinge of excitement ignited inside of her causing a smile to creep up on her face. "Wow! Dad looks like he's winning!"

"You might be right..." Krillin nodded cautiously, "... I wouldn't count that android out just yet. He might just get straight back up again!"

Vegeta had made his way over to the android who still lay sprawled across the ground. "...What's the matter? Your scrap-metal brains screw up their calculations?" He mocked.

It all happened so fast; Nineteen was suddenly on his feet jumping at her father, then he was shooting up into the sky from a kick. Vegeta flipped over his own arms before pursuing his opponent, level with him in a flash.

_'They're both so fast!'_ Hairiyu exclaimed inside her mind, eyes on the two above. She was sure her father had spoken and taunted the android again as once more, Nineteen went on the offensive. None of his strikes hit, the one punch her father threw struck him straight in the nose. There was a brief lull before the android attacked again, shooting out that seemingly popular eye beam attack. Her father was clearly too quick for him as he dodged and struck the android down heavily with cupped fists.

Android Nineteen plummeted straight towards them! Instinct kicked in before she could think and she leapt back alongside the others, narrowly avoiding being struck by displaced rubble and engulfed by dust. _'Why'd he have to hit the android down towards us?'_

"That was close!" Krillin growled.

Through the dust a relatively large crater appeared considering the size of the android himself. Cautiously Hairiyu took a step closer and peered into the crater, tense that the android may suddenly shoot out and attack. He was sprawled on the ground once more, dirt coating parts of his body and eyes closed.

Vegeta landed inside the crater, inches from the machine.

Nineteen bolted upright and latched onto Vegeta's wrists.

Hairiyu gasped in horror. "He's got him!"

"Shit, Vegeta's energy!" Krillin cried.

The android laughed in triumph. "I have you now and I'll hold onto you until I drain you dry!"

Panic began to develop inside her; if the android took her dad's energy he'd be likely to lose the fight or even worse his life! She was torn between jumping in to assist or to wait for Piccolo's signal. To add to her confusion and toil, her father still seemed quite confident!

"Hairiyu stay put," Piccolo snarled, making her jump in surprise. "Don't even think about it; you're not strong enough!"

"B-But..." Hairiyu stammered.

"Shut up and stay put!" Piccolo barked more stern than before.

Angrily and a little embarrassed she'd been yelled at, Hairiyu reluctantly stayed still and looked back over into the crater.

"It's no use kicking," the android was jeering, "I will never let go!"

"Never huh? Let's see..." Vegeta rapidly pushed his legs forwards, catching the android's face and pushing back.

Even from where she was standing she could hear the strain of the mechanics inside the android, still would it be enough? Her dad's ki was diminishing rapidly and it would only be a matter of time before it fell to dangerous levels and he wouldn't be able to sustain his fight back. She wanted to help but she knew at this moment in time she couldn't. Pride and honour stood in her way; the other fighters would disapprove of her interfering. What was pride and honour worth when you ended up dead and failed to save the planet?

"Don't let go now," Vegeta jeered, pushing back further. The android's face scrunched up over the force yet he still held onto the Super Saiyan's wrists.

"I... won't... let... go...!" He protested.

"Yes, that's the spirit android!" Vegeta grinned. "Never say die!"

The atmosphere changed, Vegeta suddenly putting far more effort into breaking free. In a terrible sounding crunch of machinery the Saiyan broke free taking both the android's clamped hands along with him. The startled android took a few steps backwards, falling onto his backside against the crater wall.

Hairiyu looked horrified, eyes glaring at the hands still attached tightly to her father's wrists. It freaked her out a little and she found herself having to gulp down hard to stop herself from refluxing. That was a sight that she still hadn't gotten used to...

"So these are the devices you use to steal our energy?" Vegeta mused, observing the android's detached hands before dropping them to the floor, "... Looks like that's all over now, isn't it?"

The android began to cower into the side of the crater, something which amazed Hairiyu. Again he seemed to be displaying emotion, this time it was fear. It occurred to her during her sighting that perhaps she was going off on a tangent becoming more interested in the science behind these machines rather than the imminent danger!

"You feel fear?" Vegeta asked. "Even you, a damn doll?"

Android Nineteen bawled and hurriedly climbed over the edge of the crater, suddenly fleeing the scene!

Vegeta shot out of the hole he'd created, now hovering about one-hundred metres above the ground.

"Enough!" Android Twenty called loudly.

"Don't be absurd!" Vegeta spat angrily. "It's enough because you're losing! You've come here to destroy us! Just hold your water and I'll get to you when I'm done with him!"

Hairiyu found herself stuck to the spot as she watched her father rev up his ki, extending one hand out, palm flat and facing forwards.

"What's he doing?" Krillin demanded as the wind kicked up, dust scattering away from the epicentre in the sky.

"Try this! Super Vegeta's Big Bang Attack!"

A bright and powerful ball of ki blasted out from her father's hand. In a flash it hit the fleeing android and detonated sending the entire area into a blinding flash of light, forcing Hairiyu to close her eyes in protection from the wind and dust. She felt hurricane-force winds threatening to push her from her feet yet she held on as much as she could, feeling small fragments of rock stinging her face alongside her own hair...

When the light had gone, the dust had fallen and the noise stopped, she opened her eyes.

There was a large impact on the ground; a terrifying indentation now lay before her. It was shocking yet awe-inspiring to see; she couldn't believe her father had been the one to cause it!

Something dropped from the sky and rolled across the ground.

All the other fighters were speechless.

Android Nineteen's head stopped rolling, smoking from Vegeta's powerful attack. Up above them Vegeta lowered his hand and smirked to himself.

Hairiyu had been completely knocked for words, as supposedly had the other fighters around them. None of them seemed to be able to comprehend what they'd just seen.

"... We may have miscalculated but you still have no hopes of winning..." Android Twenty muttered, now looking a little deterred.

Vegeta descended and landed a couple of feet away from the lone android, suddenly cancelling his Super Saiyan form.

"I've lost a lot of energy..." He muttered adjusting the strap of his armour. "Now's your chance to defeat me; go ahead... attack me!"

Hairiyu was stunned at her father's words. What was he saying? Why had he chosen to drop from being a Super Saiyan and why did he seem so sure of himself?

"You said I have no hope of winning," Vegeta continued, "I can't imagine why. What did you mean?"

"You may be more powerful than we calculated... but you will always be far less powerful than us!" The android snorted.

"Yeah? Well I just think you're being a sore loser," Vegeta jeered.

_'Why's he egging them on? Just fight if you're gonna fight!'_ Hairiyu protested in her mind. She was worried about how much power he'd lost since he'd transformed down; would he still stand a chance against the other android or did he have something up his sleeve? She somehow doubted the latter and wondered if she'd end up jumping into the fight...

In a shocking move, Android Twenty suddenly bolted away from the group!

"He's running away!" Krillin cried, "He's gonna hide in the rocks!"

"Whoa... dad scared him!" Hairiyu gawked.

"Hey! Give me a senzu bean!" Vegeta's demand grabbed the group's attention.  
"Huh?" Krillin blinked in surprise; he held the senzu bag still, "... but..."

"Do it now! He's getting away!" Vegeta bellowed more aggressive than before.

"Do it," Piccolo ordered.

"Okay..." Krillin reached into his shirt and pulled out the senzu pouch, chucking a senzu bean towards Vegeta. "Here!"

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow in confusion; was her father planning to fight the android at full strength because he needed to? What had just happened; he'd made it sound like he could win! She watched as he ate the bean and felt his power jolt back up to full power. In a blinding flash of light he'd transformed once again into a Super Saiyan.

"Why don't you guys go home and drink some milk and stay out of my way?"  
The Super Saiyan Prince lept off the ground and shot off in the direction Twenty had run to, showering the others in his dust.

"H-Hey... Drink milk my ass!" Krillin spat annoyed. "That guy is such a bastard – no offence Hairiyu!"

"I guess he just thinks he can take on the other android by himself," Hairiyu shrugged her shoulders, raising her fists excitedly. "I can't believe my dad's a Super Saiyan! He was all over that android!"

"He's a genius..." Piccolo muttered, "He really did lose most of his power when that android grabbed him, just to confirm that the androids really did drain energy through their palms! If the other android had stood his ground, he'd have easily beaten Vegeta. It was a terrific bluff... He truly is a great warrior."

Hairiyu smiled at her mentor's praise for her dad, again a sense of pride kicking in. She was his daughter after all!

"He might have surpassed even Goku," Piccolo added.

"Wow, really?" Gohan asked shocked.

"... I'm following him!" Tenshinhan decided. "I at least want to see that android destroyed!"

"I'm going too!" Krillin nodded.

"I wanna go to make sure dad's alright, although I'm sure he will be ok..." Hairiyu spoke out.

"Me too!" Gohan added. "There'd be no point to all that training I did if I don't go!"

"Agreed," Piccolo nodded, "just don't try to fight the android; none of you can handle him! He has no ki for us to trace and he could be hiding anywhere among the rocks. If you see him, tell me or Vegeta and be careful!"


	49. Chapter 048

**Chapter 048 - Search for Twenty**

The group had split over the craggy landscape in their search for the missing android. Hairiyu thought it wise to stay near Piccolo so she did. Her eyes carefully scanned the area below her searching for anything out of the ordinary or for any sign of the android. Part of her cursed him; his clothes were coloured similarly to the rocky terrain below so they seemed to provide him with decent camouflage in this setting, all close to earth colours. It would make it more difficult to distinguish him between the rocks.

The same feeling of dread had come over her; it was almost like they were searching the city again. The lack of ki for her to sense just put her on edge further. She couldn't see much detail from where she was right now and came to the conclusion she'd need to look closer. Hairiyu descended towards the ground and began to fly through the narrow canyons of rock.

As more time went by she grew more and more nervous. The android could be anywhere; he could be right behind her and she wouldn't even know! "... I hate this..." She mumbled quietly to herself, peering through a small crack in the rocks to a lower level.

The sudden sound of feet scraping against the ground almost made her scream. On edge she slowly turned around and tried to figure out what direction it was coming from!

"Oh, hey!"

Hairiyu glanced up, heart thumping in her ribs threatening to break through them! "... Krillin! You scared me!" She exhaled in relief.

Krillin chuckled; he was on the edge of a rock overlooking where she stood. "Sorry about that; you scared me too you know!"

"Any luck yet?" Hairiyu asked.

"Nah, nothing yet..." Something caught Krillin's attention and he looked up. Hairiyu did the same, spotting her father was hovering not too far from them.

The energy ball forming in his hand sent a wave of fear through her as she realised what he was about to do! "... Is he gonna...?" She spluttered.

"He is! S-Stop!" Krillin cried up towards the Saiyan. "We're down here too!"

"Dad don't!" Hairiyu bellowed.

Vegeta either hadn't heard or ignored them; either way the energy ball was suddenly shooting down towards the ground.

All Hairiyu could do was watch in horror; she wouldn't be able to reach it in time! They would all be blown to smithereens!

A flash in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she gasped in shock – the android! In an instant he was standing before the energy ball, hands held out in front of him. The beam struck and was sucked into the two devices in his palms, vanishing in a matter of seconds.

"That's for the recharge you fool!"

With little though Hairiyu raced forwards towards the android, much against Krillin's calls for her to stop! She had to grab him while he was distracted; her father was tearing through the sky towards him too!

In an instant the android had gone. Hairiyu slammed on her heels and came to a stop, inches from her father who'd just landed. He seemed furious!

"Where'd he go?" Hairiyu asked desperate to spot any sign of him.

Vegeta dashed off into the rocky outcrops without a word, gone as fast as the android leaving Hairiyu alone, much to his daughter's annoyance. _'... Am I invisible or something?'_ She grumbled in her head.

"Hey, did you see where he went?" Krillin asked running up to her.

Hairiyu frowned, "No... and dad completely ignored me when I asked him..."

"Damn it..." Krillin gritted his teeth. "... Well I guess all we can do is to keep on searching! I wouldn't worry too much about your father, Hairiyu; he would have ignored all of us if we'd been in your shoes! Let's just keep searching and hope when we do find him, Vegeta or Piccolo are nearby!"

"Okay," Hairiyu nodded.

The search continued for what felt like forever. Since the sighting alongside Krillin and her father, she hadn't seen the android. It was beginning to get on her nerves; she didn't like not being able to sense him and didn't like that he'd chosen to hide in such a brilliant hiding area!

Hairiyu reached a rock face; a dead end. The only ways were back around or up. Up sounded better. With relative ease she began to climb up the rocky wall reaching the top in under a minute. She had a decent view of the whole area up here yet still no sign of the android! She had no idea where else to look and was growing tired of all this looking around.

_'He could be anywhere!'_ She groaned in her head. _'This feels impossible!'_

Suddenly a drop in Piccolo's ki grabbed her attention. Hairiyu tracked his location hurriedly; it had to be the android! Piccolo's ki was falling dramatically! Without any more thought over the matter, Hairiyu took to the skies and flew straight for Piccolo's location worried she'd be too late to save her mentor!

A spike in Gohan's energy confused her but it quickly became apparent what had happened as she spotted them down below. Gohan'd struck the now falling android, Piccolo inches from both fighters. Gohan stood in front of Piccolo defensively.

"Nice shot!" Hairiyu smiled as she reached them, joining Gohan's side.

Piccolo was short on breath, "... Thanks Gohan..."

The android glared back up at them; his hat had once again fallen. Hairiyu was curious over what she saw on the top of his head and gulped; was that a brain she could see covered by what looked like a clear lid? Dr. Gero was creepy!

Almost simultaneously Krillin, Tenshinhan and Vegeta converged on the four, completely surrounding the cornered android. At least everyone was now here.

"Krillin, give Piccolo a senzu bean!" Gohan cried.

"Right!" Krillin reached into the bag and tossed a senzu bean up to Piccolo.

From the looks of it Vegeta was challenging the android to battle. Hairiyu gulped and clenched her fists hoping this time her dad would do what he'd done to the other android!

To her's and everyone else's surprise Piccolo suddenly vanished from behind her, descending down towards the android! "Piccolo!" She called.

The Namekian fighter removed his turban and weighted cape, tossing them aside. "Stay out of this Vegeta! Don't interfere!"

"What? Piccolo's planning to fight?" Hairiyu gaped in disbelief. "Can he win?"

"I dunno; he just had his energy absorbed by the android..." Gohan mumbled back to her; he didn't sound too pleased with it either.

"... I don't care if you get yourself killed but won't you just be giving him more energy?" Vegeta snorted.

Piccolo didn't say anything as he put up his guard. From a little distance back Hairiyu watched her mentor alongside Gohan, nervous and apprehensive. She knew Piccolo was strong but she wasn't sure with how he'd fare up against an android. She'd got the impression Android Twenty was the boss of the duo; did that mean he was stronger than Nineteen? Past experience would have suggested this was the case but she couldn't be sure. Piccolo seemed confident in himself to have challenged the android...

Before she knew it Piccolo kneed Twenty clean in the jaw; the startled vulnerable android shooting past Vegeta into a cliff face and through it!

"Well well..." Vegeta muttered with a smirk.

Android Twenty slowly dug himself free from the rocky rubble and floated forwards a little. In a sudden burst of movement he lunged forwards, Piccolo seeing him coming and decking him in the head with his elbow, the android falling and vanishing into a cloud of dust and displaced rock with a loud crash.

"Piccolo's attacks are working," Hairiyu smiled enthusiastically. "The android hasn't been able to touch him yet!"

The battle continued with Piccolo dominating the overwhelmed android. Each attack Twenty made was counteracted or anticipated and Piccolo's fast, strong hits were too much for him to handle! Once more the mechanical man was tossed down into the ground, swallowed by the dust and dirt scattered high into the atmosphere. Piccolo hovered above waiting for his opponent to once again show himself...

Twenty shot from the dust hand reaching up for Piccolo; the dust surrounded the two blocking everyone's view.

"He grabbed him!" Gohan cried.

Hairiyu anxiously peered through the dust trying to spot them. It didn't take long before their silhouettes appeared; was Piccolo ok?

"... No, wait!" Gohan mumbled. "Piccolo grabbed the grabber!"

"He's too fast for that android," Hairiyu smiled in relief.

Piccolo had indeed gotten a tight grip over Twenty's arm, who was struggling to move. In a sudden move Piccolo lifted the android and slashed across with a chop, cutting Twenty's arm clean off and reducing it to nothing. Twenty backed off slightly; oil and mechanics draped from the end of his mechanical arm.

"You could have put this arm to good use... what a waste of technology!" Piccolo sneered, crushing the arm with his hand with relative ease. "Just remember this; we can amplify what you call energy in one tremendous burst! What you stole from me now was nothing..."

"We won!" Gohan cheered confidently.

"Piccolo you're awesome!" Hairiyu called excited.

Android Twenty defiantly went on the move once more, Piccolo hot on his heels and continuing to deliver a pounding. Each strike was effective for the Namekian and once again Twenty was sent crashing through the rocky caverns.

"We were supposed to be killed by you two androids," Piccolo continued, "but whether you weren't as tough as you were meant to be, or if we just became too strong, the end result is the future has been changed!"

The android had risen back to his feet but this time, hadn't gone to attack. Hairiyu looked down at him and smiled; perhaps he now knew that he could ever win against Piccolo! It was true what her mentor had said; the past had been changed! It looked like everyone was going to live after all!

"We did it, we beat them without Goku," Krillin grinned.

"I don't like seeing Piccolo or Vegeta so powerful but for now it's good!" Tenshinhan added.

"Piccolo, finish him off!" Vegeta jeered. "... Or do I have to step in?"

"No thanks," Piccolo replied, "I began as evil incarnated, pulled away from Kami... I'm not soft like Goku!"

The mood instantly changed as an approaching ki was picked up by the fighters. Hairiyu looked over to the direction it was coming from; who could it be? She didn't recognise it at all!

Rapidly the approaching person grew closer and closer, finally coming to a stop a couple hundred metres away from them. To their shock it was the boy from the future!

"No way... he's back!" Hairiyu exclaimed surprised, completely missing what Piccolo had muttered and subsequently missing out on finding out his name!

"Yeah..." Gohan nodded.

The boy mumbled something inaudible from how far back they were, whatever it was he said it seemed to stun her father and Piccolo!

"... These aren't the androids?" Piccolo asked.

Hairiyu gasped; had she heard that right?

"What did he say?" Krillin mumbled. "These aren't... the androids?"

"Th-Then who are they?" Tenshinhan gaped.

She had heard that right! How? How were they the wrong androids? It didn't make any sense! They'd arrived just when the boy had said they would and had indeed started to destroy that city! They bore the Red Ribbon Army emblem, they were made of machines and their energy was undetectable! How could they not be the androids he was referring to?


	50. Chapter 049

**Chapter 049 - Identity**

"If that's not the android then who is he?" Vegeta's loud yell could be heard despite how far he was from her. Hairiyu looked over to the mysterious man for any signs; he didn't seem too sure about any of this which worried her all the more.

"M-Maybe it's no big deal," Krillin suggested. "History turned out different anyway, right? Maybe the appearance of the androids changed too!"

"I hope so..." Tenshinhan mumbled uncertain.

A high pitched but quiet sound caught her ear, it sounded like an engine of some sort. Again Hairiyu searched it out, spotting a small plane on the horizon heading for them. Something about the shape of it seemed familiar to her.

"Hey look, isn't that Bulma?" Krillin asked.

Hairiyu gasped dumbfounded and horrified, "That is mama!" She cried panicked. "K-Krillin we need to tell her not to come down here!"

The craft swooped around the battle area; indeed Bulma, Trunks and Yajirobe were inside.

"Mama, get away!" Hairiyu bellowed waving her arms frantically, frustrated when her mother waved back! "I'm not waving at you!" She yelled. "Go away! The android is still here!"

"Don't come any closer!" The boy from the future yelled.

"I spoke the truth when I said you had no chance!" Android Twenty bellowed loudly. "Androids Seventeen and Eighteen will come for you soon!"

Hairiyu glared down at the android temporarily, almost caught off-guard when he fired off an energy attack engulfing the surrounding area in its wake! The wind harshly battered her, the explosion overpowering any other sound from reaching her ears! The imminent danger quickly struck her and she turned around to look back up to where the plane had been! "MAMA!" She cried (still unable to hear herself shout, so it was naturally obvious no one else could have heard her,) desperately trying to find her in the midst of the blinding light...

The ground below was choked in dust completely obstructing any view of the complex rocky canyons. Now that she could see again Hairiyu frantically looked around the sky; no sign of her mother's plane anywhere. It was as she'd feared; there had been no chance of it being able to survive an attack like that at such close range. Why did her mother come here? Where was she now? What about Trunks?

Her eyes reluctantly turned to the ground, fearing the worst. Her mother was down there somewhere as was her baby brother; neither could survive the fall... "Please no... Don't be dead..." She choked, feeling the tears coming to her eyes, her heart tugging down.

"Is everyone alright?" Krillin asked.

"I think so, where's Bulma?" Gohan replied.

"Mama..." Hairiyu whimpered, suddenly shooting down towards the ground furious with herself. She'd just let them down again. "MAMA!" As much as she wanted to beat herself up for her stupidity she knew there'd been no chance of her catching them from their fall, especially since the attack had muffled her sight and hearing so much. Still she'd sworn to herself she'd protect them! She'd let them down!

A couple of silhouetted appeared just to her right. Hopeful yet heartbroken she headed straight for them, surprised to see one of them was the boy from the future! The sound of her little brother crying was enough to relax her a little. The boy from the future knelt right beside her mother and brother, thankfully both of whom seemed a little shaken to say the least!

"That was close!" Bulma sighed, "Oh, where's my baby? Where's Trunks?" She spotted him and grabbed him from the boy's grasp. "Thank you so much!"

"Mama!" Hairiyu was now in tears, feeling pitiful and embarrassed she was in such a state but also mighty relieved to see they were both alive. "Thank you Mr. Future man!" She sniffed, running to her mother and hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry! I couldn't get to you in time! I'm sorry!"

"Hey, calm down Hairiyu," Bulma cooed hugging her daughter back. "We're ok thanks to this young man!"

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded, wiping a tear away and looking back up at the man bashfully, "Thank you, really! You saved my mama and Trunks!"

Confusingly the man seemed a little awkward, although Hairiyu assumed it was because of the terrific rescue he'd just done!

"Bulma!" Gohan called.

"Are you alright?" Krillin asked as the two landed.

"We're ok guys," Bulma nodded. "This young man just saved us!"

"That's a relief, right Hairiyu?" Gohan asked noticing she was wiping her eyes. "Your mother's ok!"

"Yeah... I know," Hairiyu nodded putting on a smile. She just felt so relieved.

The boy suddenly rose up into the air and headed straight for Vegeta, cutting him off. Hairiyu watched confused; what was he doing? Whatever it was it didn't last long as her father quickly flew off around him. "... I wonder what that was about..." she mumbled to herself.

"Hey, who was that guy you were fighting?" Bulma asked.

"That was one of the androids," Krillin replied.

"Really?" Bulma seemed surprised.

"Yeah! Dad destroyed one of them and Piccolo was beating the one you saw," Hairiyu nodded.

"... I'm not so sure he's an android," Bulma mumbled. "I think that was Dr. Gero. I read about him in an academic journal; he's really changed a lot you know! It looks like he altered his own body..."

The three couldn't hide their shock. That android had been Dr. Gero?

"H-Hey!" Krillin shouted up to the others. "Bulma says that android is Dr. Gero!"

-

"That android was Dr. Gero himself?" Vegeta yelled frustrated. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I've seen his picture before!" Bulma snapped back at the Saiyan. "He's pretty famous among all the scientists although they all say he's a jerk but a genius! He probably turned himself into a cyborg so he could live longer..."

Hairiyu still couldn't believe what she was hearing! That android had said that Dr Gero had died; the liar! She didn't like being lied to... Turning back to the identity of Android Twenty Hairiyu was left baffled and perplexed. How on earth had Dr. Gero managed to turn himself into an android by himself? (or was that a cyborg as her mama'd said?) Surely he'd have needed help!

"You told us a pack of lies!" Vegeta snapped, his attention on the boy from the future. "You told us Dr. Gero was killed by the androids! You didn't say he turned himself into one! Now you say the androids are different?"

She felt empathy for the future boy; her father's yell sounded scary to her even if he wasn't telling her off! She watched him as he seemed to be contemplating something. "... History must have changed somehow..." He muttered. "Could it have been a side-effect of me coming to the past before?"

"Dr. Gero spoke of two other androids; Seventeen and Eighteen," Piccolo butted in. "They're probably the androids you warned us about! Tell us what they look like; we don't want to be wrong again!"

Piccolo had a good point. Hairiyu listened eagerly to what the boy was about to tell them; it was important information!

"Seventeen is a kid with long black hair and a red scarf around his neck," The boy answered, "Eighteen is a girl – a pretty girl – her clothes are similar to mine. Both have hoop earrings and icy stares."

"A... girl?" Krillin stuttered.

"Do they also drain your energy through their hands?" Piccolo asked.

"Drain energy? ... No, nothing like that," the boy answered. "They have an infinite energy supply."

"... Infinite energy..." Vegeta bared his teeth.

Hairiyu took a deep gulp; icy stares and infinite energy. They didn't sound too pleasant to fight at all! She was beginning to have doubts about her own abilities again and was a little anxious about meeting these two androids.

"Where's Goku? Why isn't he here?" The boy queried.

"The heart virus just hit him," Krillin replied. "He's gone home to recover and get the medicine."

"... So that changed too?" The boy mumbled to himself.

Hairiyu looked at the ground and frowned. It sounded like they were in for far more trouble than she'd thought. Half an hour ago she was convinced they had beaten the androids and were going to survive... now she knew they still had to face the androids the boy from the future had warned them about!

"Bulma, Dr. Gero must be going back to his lab; do you know where it is?" Vegeta demanded taking a couple of steps forwards.

Bulma hurriedly backed away as Trunks began to cry. "How dare you Vegeta! Every time you go near Trunks you make him cry!" She began to tend to her sobbing baby; Hairiyu finding the situation a little funny!

"Bulma, would you forget the child for one minute?" Vegeta snapped. "Do you know where the lab is?"

Bulma glared at him, "...I think it was in the mountains near North City. There was a rumour he converted a cave there into a lab, if he hasn't moved of course. I had no idea Dr. Gero was connected to the Red Ribbon Army..."

"Yeah but Dr. Gero's probably long gone by now and headed back to his lab..." Krillin suggested. "It's probably already too late to try and stop him."

"We're fine," Vegeta smirked. "No one saw him fly away, right? That means he's on foot and if he's on foot, he can't have gotten far!"

"I follow you. Alright, we're going to destroy Seventeen and Eighteen before Gero has a chance to return to his lab and activate them!" Piccolo decided.

"The coward's way out!" Vegeta snorted. "I want to be the one to destroy the androids with my own hands! Those other androids weren't worth my time!"

Several eyes had turned to the Saiyan Prince. Although she felt Piccolo's idea was far smarter and safer, she was surprised to hear her father had disagreed! Hairiyu'd always assumed her dad and Piccolo were the smarter fighters; surely they'd have both agreed what was the right thing to do?

"No!" The boy from the future cried, "Don't underestimate those androids! Piccolo's right! We have to find the lab and destroy them before Dr. Gero can activate them!"

Vegeta smirked before suddenly shooting up into the sky, the boy from the future pursued and cut him off. "W-Wait! If we can't make it in time we should avoid battle at least until Goku gets better!"

"We don't need to wait for Kakarrot!" Vegeta snapped. "Can't you see I've become a Super Saiyan too? As a Saiyan Prince, I should be far more powerful than he is!"

"You don't know what you're dealing with!" The boy insisted urgently, stepping out in front of Vegeta.

"Get out of my way!" Vegeta bellowed, passing the boy with ease and flying off into the distance.

"He's really gone..." Tenshinhan muttered.

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow and sighed; her dad was so selfish and stubborn! Piccolo and the boy from the future were right; they needed to reach the lab before Gero did so they could prevent the androids from being activated! If they were as strong and scary as this youth said they were then she wasn't sure she wanted to fight them!

"... Vegeta's a Super Saiyan now; it's true he's become stronger than Goku now," Piccolo spoke, "Maybe he really is strong enough to beat these androids."

"No, I'm afraid he doesn't stand a chance," The boy frowned as he descended back to the ground; his words alarming Hairiyu. "I'm a Super Saiyan as well but I'm still powerless against them! They have unbelievable strength..."

"... So dad's gonna lose against them?" Hairiyu gulped. She knew it was far worse than how she'd put it.

"I'm going after him," the boy decided. "He's an idiot but I won't let my father die again!" With that he took to the sky vanishing quickly.

The phrase hadn't gone unnoticed. Hairiyu was left perplexed and speechless, repeating the last sentence back to herself: I won't let my father die again. "... What?" She asked baffled.

"Did he really say dad... Why?" Bulma asked. "Was his dad killed by the androids?"

"There's no reason to keep it a secret anymore," Piccolo muttered turning to Bulma. "His name is Trunks. His father is Vegeta and you're his mother. He's who the baby you're holding in your arms grows up to be. He's your son."

"What?" Bulma gawked.

"Wha?" Hairiyu's jaw dropped in disbelief. "No way!" She stared intensely at her baby brother as her mother did the same!

"You're kidding!" Gohan cried.

"... So that's how it is?" Bulma stuttered.

"You know, there's a resemblance!" Krillin gaped. "That sure explains how he can transform into a Super Saiyan!"

Hairiyu couldn't get her head around it! That boy from the future was actually her baby brother. "... You mean I met my brother before he was born? Whoa... That's unbelievably weird! Wow!" She looked at her baby brother and smiled, "hey, he beat Frieeza and that other guy! See Trunks, you're a strong fighter!"

"You guys, come and help me look for Dr Gero's lab," Piccolo requested. "It might be better to destroy those androids before Vegeta or Dr Gero gets to them before us."

"Right," Krillin nodded.

"... Well Trunks it looks like you're gonna grow up to become a good guy!" Bulma smiled. "I was beginning to worry – you're such a mean looking baby!"

"Bulma, could you let my dad know about all this the next time you see him?" Gohan asked. "Oh, and if he gets well, we'd like him to join us!"

"Sure but I have no way of getting home now," Bulma frowned, "My plane exploded!"

Hairiyu was about to step in and offer to take her mother home when Piccolo interrupted, "Gohan, take Bulma back home. We should be able to handle the androids without you, providing we make it in time..."

"Ok but be careful," Gohan nodded.

"What about me? Should I go with him?" Hairiyu asked.

"Gohan will be enough," Piccolo muttered. "You'll come look for Gero's lab; we need all the eyes we can get!"

"Alright," Hairiyu frowned. "Gohan, look after my mama and Trunks!"

"Don't worry, I will," Gohan nodded with a cheesy thumbs-up and a grin.

"Hairiyu, be careful and listen to what Piccolo, Tenshinhan and Krillin tell you," Bulma instructed. "Don't get yourself hurt, ok?"

"I'll be ok mama," Hairiyu smiled.

"Right, let's go!" Piccolo decided. "We have to get to those androids before Vegeta does!"

"Right," Krillin and Hairiyu nodded.

Piccolo and the others took to the skies leaving Gohan and Bulma behind. Hairiyu glanced over her shoulder and waved as she left them, "Bye!"

-

The flight to North City was a long one considering how much land they had to cross. She could tell when they were getting closer as the temperature slowly dropped in the air. Her thoughts almost kept her from noticing it. Why had her father acted like such a jerk to her brother? Did he know the boy from the future was his son? Why did he insist on fighting these androids? Surely he could see the sense in what they'd been telling him to do?

"Hairiyu! Keep focused!" Piccolo barked. "We're starting to fly over the mountains surrounding North City so keep your eyes peeled!"

"S-Sorry," Hairiyu apologised.

The group of four fighters came to a halt over what seemed like an endless mountain range. The icy cold air began to brush against her skin making her shiver; she crossed her arms in a bid to stay warm.

"Dr Gero's lab is in a cave in one of these mountains," Tenshinhan explained, "How on earth do we find it? There's nothing but mountains here! Also he might be able to sense our ki when we're approaching... there's no way we can sense him."

"It's pretty cold up here..." Krillin mumbled.

"I wish I had a jacket or something," Hairiyu agreed. She didn't mind cold weather providing she had adequate clothing on - which right now she didn't!

"...We'll have to split up and start searching. Whoever of us finds it should give some sort of signal..." Piccolo muttered.

"What kind of signal did you have in mind?" Krillin asked.

"Suddenly raise your ki," Piccolo decided.

Hairiyu nodded, shivering as a strong gust of wind passed them.

"Does anyone have money so we can buy jackets?" Krillin protested.

"Live with it, I'm cold too," Tenshinhan answered.

"Stop whinging!" Piccolo barked. "Deal with it and find those androids before they're started up – and before Vegeta finds them! Humans are so inconvenient!"

"Oh!" Krillin gasped. "Before you all go..." He reached into his shirt and took out the senzu bag, tipping the beans out into his hand. "Let's split the senzu beans just in case. There are six of them left... so two of us get two and the other two get only one."

"... Maybe you and Hairiyu ought to keep hold of two," Piccolo suggested. "Tenshinhan and I will take one each... although I'd like to take care of this without having to use any of them..."

With that, the group split up.


	51. Chapter 050

**Chapter 050 - The Rebellion**

It hadn't been long since Hairiyu'd left the company of the others and once again her nerves were starting to get the better of her. She felt on edge which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, although any strange noise she heard made her jump and turn on the spot! The two senzu beans she'd been given were tucked away in her belt; she hoped what Piccolo'd said would come to pass and she wouldn't need to use them!

Hairiyu had decided to land and walk a little, wandering along a relatively rocky path situated a fair ways up one of the mountains, which inciddentally gave her a decent view of the surrounding mountains. She wasn't entirely sure where she was going but at this moment in time any direction was good! In the back of her mind she kept an eye on Piccolo, Tenshinhan and Krillin's ki, wary if any of them were suddenly to jolt up.

She quickly came to a ridge; her path ending. Hairiyu glanced over the edge and gulped nervously; it looked like a pretty high drop to the forest below. It was almost impossible to tell how far down the ground actually was and she couldn't see through the thick greenery below. Hairiyu took a couple of steps back and contemplated what to do; either climb down the cliff edge to a lower level or just fly.

Flying was the obvious choice.

With that decided she continued her search in the sky. It felt like the minutes passed by like hours and she was growing incredibly frustrated and bored! She wanted to find Gero or the lab so she could get this over and done with and go back home! Searching for something you couldn't sense or even have a clue where to look for was always annoying and it drained her patience.

Krillin's ki shot up.

Hairiyu gasped and turned; she could actually see him from her current location and he seemed to be alone! Did that mean he'd found it? Hairiyu hurriedly shot towards him reaching him in seconds, "Krillin!"

"Hey, that was fast!" Krillin exclaimed surprised he'd been joined so soon! "Look! Down there!" He pointed, Hairiyu's eyes following his directions and gasping when she spotted it. There it was; there was a cave!

Two more energies converged on them as Piccolo and Tenshinhan arrived.

"Yes! Good work Krillin," Tenshinhan smiled.

"Yeah, now let's shut down these androids!" Piccolo nodded.

"W-Wait! I hadn't mentioned it yet but... Dr. Gero's already in there," Krillin frowned. "He got here just before me and slipped into the lab!"

"What? Oh no!" Hairiyu gulped, "I didn't realise he'd gotten here before you!" So she'd been that close to Dr. Gero too...

"You should have told us before Krillin!" Piccolo scolded infuriated, rearing his ki and heading off towards the cave, Krillin, Tenshinhan and Hairiyu following. The small group were instantly at the mouth of the hole in the ground, peering into the shadowy depths. Through the shadows Hairiyu was certain she could see something that did not appear to be rock...

Inside the cave looked dark and dank, much like any normal cave Hairiyu'd ever been in! What was different was the steel wall not too deep into it! It was blaringly obvious that it was supposed to hide whatever was behind it, Hairiyu snorted and rolled her eyes. _'Exactly how is this a secret lab when he's got a gigantic metal door barely hidden away in here? He might as well put up a sign with flashing lights!'_

The group made their way towards the steel wall which on closer inspection looked like doors.

"They're probably really thick," Hairiyu mumbled to herself, "He's a scientist; they're a little picky about access to their workshop! I'll bet he's even got some sort of code or scanner which only he knows how to activate..." She could speak out of personal experience in living with a family of scientists; she'd dared not incur the wrath of her mother by letting her curiousity get the better of her and try to crack the codes of her's and Dr Brief's lab! "How are we gonna open this door if we don't know what it is? It could be anything!"

"Simple; we'll break it down," Piccolo decided.

Tenshinhan and Krillin charged and began to push yet despite their best efforts and much to Hairiyu's amazement, the door didn't budge. Of course they'd suggest using brute force.

"This thing weighs a tonne!" Krillin groaned after once again slamming himself into the door. "It's not even moving!"

"Alright, out of the way," Piccolo muttered extending one arm. "I'll break us through."

Hairiyu took a couple of steps back as her mentor began to gather ki into his outstretched palm, a little startled when she heard feet hit the ground behind her. Panicked her black hair whirled through the air as she pivoted around, surprised to see who it was.

"I see you found it," Vegeta smirked standing behind the group, Trunks behind him and looking almost like his father when serious.

_'I couldn't even sense them coming,'_ Hairiyu mumbled to herself in her mind.

"Hurry up so I can deal with these androids!" Vegeta barked already sounding like he was out of patience.

"Don't listen to him Piccolo," Trunks warily spoke.

"Shut up!" Vegeta spat at the lavender-haired boy; Hairiyu now seeing her grandfather's hair colour had been passed onto him. He clearly resembled their mother far more than Hairiyu did, though she could see he had their father's face.

Before Piccolo could generate enough energy, a fuming Dr. Gero's voice came quite audibly through the thick steel doors:

"Seventeen stop kidding around and defeat the enemies outside the door!"

Hairiyu gasped in horror, a small bead of sweat running down her cheek. Seventeen had been activated! They were too late!

"T-The androids... have been activated already?" Krillin shivered looking like he'd seen a ghost, taking a weary step back.

"Damn it, we're too late!" Piccolo growled withdrawing his hand and clenching it by his side.

"Now what do we do?" Hairiyu asked nervously.

"We fight!" Vegeta snorted extending one arm out. "You cowards get the hell out of my way! I'll blast the door down myself!"

"No!" Trunks yelled urgently, stepping forward a couple of paces. "We can't face them until Goku gets better! Stop it! You have no idea what you're dealing with! Let's wait for Goku!"

"Unnecessary!" Vegeta bellowed.

A bright blue ki attack shot from his hand narrowly missing Piccolo, Tenshinhan and Krillin as it hit home, pushing the thick steel doors in on themselves and sending them to the floor with a loud thump. The force sent the metre-thick slabs of metal crashing slightly through the ground. Hairiyu lowered her guard and peered past the others and into the smoky room, eyes peeled for any signs of androids. It didn't take long for the dust to clear.

Android Twenty - Dr Gero - stood facing them alongside a taller, dark haired boy who almost had his back turned to them; both androids had almost been hit by the doors as they'd collapsed. Behind the two androids was a blonde girl; she looked quite pretty from what Hairiyu could see. Around the lab were several strange-looking machines lined up against the dank, rocky walls, although one was placed horizontal; the girl standing next to it. The smell of damp hit her nostrils; it seemed like this place wasn't very well ventilated and obviously didn't see daylight; artificial lighting was lined up across the ceiling.

Her attention turned back to the three androids, heart thumping in her ribs as she laid eyes on them.

"A black-haired boy with a red bandana, and a pretty girl... Trunks, are these the right androids this time?" Vegeta muttered.

"... That's them..." Trunks growled.

"So that's Seventeen and Eighteen?" Krillin gawked. "Funny... they don't seem all that menacing..."

Hairiyu agreed with Krillin; sure their stares were unnerving yet neither of them seemed the fighting-type. Both looked pretty normal just like any other person!

"Don't let their looks fool you," Trunks warned," They're both deadly!"

Dr Gero spoke out to the androids, "These are the friends of Son Goku I told you about! Don't let them catch you off-guard! They destroyed Nineteen and nearly killed me!"

"Nineteen?" The dark-haired android spoke up. "So you made him after all? You caused another one of us to die? Did you talk him into making you an android? What make was he, an energy absorption model?"

"... Yes..." Dr Gero grumbled.

"Why did you go back to your old energy absorption design?" The blonde girl asked. "Was it because we infinite energy models were too difficult to control?"

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow; these androids didn't seem to know much about their counterparts from what she was hearing. What struck her even more was that they seemed to be showing little interest in her and the others! They didn't seem like the fighting type at all; they seemed so laid back...

Were they really a threat to them? Were they really the monsters Trunks had claimed they were?

The idle chatter seemed to keep on going and Hairiyu was beginning to think perhaps these androids were far more interested in asking Gero questions than following his orders! Neither of them had taken the initiative to come at the intruders. What was going on here? Gero was barking orders at them yet neither listened, they even answered back! The blonde seemed to be taking an interest to the strange machine she stood by.

"Sixteen? Is he another infinite model?" She asked.

_'Sixteen?'_ Hairiyu asked herself. _'Is that another android? I thought there were only supposed to be two... Trunks' information was a little off!'_

"Don't touch that, Eighteen!" Dr. Gero barked. "Just back off!"

"Sixteen?" Trunks stammered. "There was another one I didn't know about?"

"Interesting," the dark haired android smiled, "start him up Eighteen."

"Stop!" Dr. Gero cried frantically, "Do you want to destroy the world? Sixteen was an experimental model! He was a failure! Don't touch him!"

The warning sent chills through Hairiyu's spine. Was this supposed other android really that dangerous? What on earth did Dr. Gero mean by destroying the world? Would the android malfunction and create an explosion so big and powerful, it would have dire consequences for the entire planet, or was it he was so insanely powerful and difficult to control? Hairiyu was already getting the impression Dr. Gero had no control over these androids!

"You left him around for quite a while considering he was a failure..." Eighteen folded her arms. "You disposed of all the others..."

"I was planning to repair him one day," Dr Gero responded through a rasping voice. "Just don't activate him or you'll kill us all!"

"... Hey..." Krillin spoke out, "Do you think we should make a run for it while they're still arguing?"

"Do you really think we should?" Hairiyu asked. "I kinda get the impression they're more interested in Dr. Gero than us..."

"Which is why it's the perfect time to leave!" Krillin hissed.

"Go if you want," Vegeta answered confidently, "I'm the only one who can handle these things anyway!"

_'Must you be so over-confident all the time?'_ Hairiyu rolled her eyes before focusing back on the small verbal fight.

"Do you have to defy everything I say?" Dr Gero snarled. "You're both just like Sixteen – failures! I'll deactivate you all!"

"I destroyed the controller," Seventeen casually answered.

"I'll build another one!"

Android Eighteen leaned down to the machine; Dr. Gero turned on his heels. "For the last time Eighteen, don't press that switch!"

The atmosphere changed. In a flash Dr. Gero had been impaled by Seventeen's hand which was now lodged through his chest.

Hairiyu gawked in shock, dumbstruck by the sudden display of aggression on the android's part. She'd never seen it coming; she'd been so convinced these new androids were easy-going!

Seventeen yanked his hand free; blood and oil dripping from Gero's wound. The impaled android turned to the dark haired boy,

"Seventeen, what are you doing?" He barked.

In what felt like slow motion, Seventeen swung his leg out. It made contact with the doctor's neck and kept on going until it sliced through, decapitating Dr. Gero. His head bounced a couple of times and rolled towards the entrance of the lab, stopping right before the group.

Hairiyu's eyes were wide with horror, totally taken back by this display of violence and still struggling to comprehend it all!

"... Lousy... piece of... junk...!" Dr. Gero's head spoke, startling and creeping her out even more!

With one leap Seventeen jumped and landed, completely crushing his creator's head under his foot.

The bloody mess almost made her feel sick, even after all her conditioning and training. Hairiyu had to look away before she threw up, it was just too horrible to look at!

Seventeen rose to his feet, now standing inches from Krillin. For a moment he looked at those before him with a smile; Hairiyu nervously waiting for him to suddenly attack any of them.

To her surprise the android turned on his heels and walked back into the lab.

"H-He killed his own creator..." Krillin gagged.

"So what?" Vegeta snorted. "If you don't like someone, you kill them! It's the Saiyan way too... You humans have the strangest inhibitions!"

Hairiyu watched cautiously, almost ignoring what the others had said and keeping a close eye on the two androids; both had congregated around that strange machine and were now standing around Sixteen. Were they planning to activate him?

"No... I won't let there be any more androids!" Trunks bellowed, ki suddenly skyrocketing as he transformed into a Super Saiyan, catching everyone off-guard with his sudden energy attack! Hairiyu almost screamed as she dashed towards the exit, knowing full well if she stayed she'd be caught up in the explosion!

"Idiot!" Krillin screamed just as the attack erupted.

Fragments and large shards of rock were tossed everywhere, Hairiyu knocked forwards by the explosion into the open air, quickly managing to regain her control and riding the attack out. The roar was deafening as the entire lab was completely destroyed. She finally managed to stop and floated a couple of hundred metres from where the cave had once stood, unable to see any of its remains due to the thick smoke.

"Hey, how about a little more warning before you do that?" Krillin protested towards Trunks, floating over to Hairiyu, "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm ok, just a bit shocked!" Hairiyu nodded resting a hand on her chest feeling her heart racing. She couldn't believe her brother had done something so reckless, putting them all in danger! She'd come this close to either being obliterated by the attack or being crushed under rocks, neither of which she fancied!

"You idiot!" Vegeta snapped agitated. "That was pointless!"

_'Pointless?' _Hairiyu repeated, unintentionally mimicking Trunks' speech.

"Take a look down there!"

Hairiyu peered down to where the cave had once been, eyes widening when she spotted them. Both androids looked unscathed; Eighteen holding what Hairiyu assumed to be Sixteen's strange container with one hand; cords severed and dangling.

"Like I said, pointless!" Vegeta muttered.

Eighteen tossed the container down to the ground and pressed a button on the side. The machine seemed to come to life as the door slowly opened; an impatient Eighteen kicking it clean off its hinges! Seconds later a new android emerged. This one was far taller than the others and wore some sort of green body armour with a black jumpsuit. His red mohican stood out against his clothes.

"... Great... there's another one!" Krillin shuddered.

"We're in trouble..." Hairiyu gulped clenching her fists, "Dr. Gero said this android would destroy the Earth!"

The trio seemed to talk amongst themselves, none of their words audible to the group. Hairiyu's imagination ran riot; were they now planning to fight and kill them, were they planning to just destroy the planet? Would she and the others be forced to fend for their lives?

After a while the three androids rose to the skies, Hairiyu taking in a deep breath and swallowing the lump in her throat.

With that they left, slowly flying away into the horizon.

It left everyone speechless.

"... They... took off!" Krillin smiled seemingly relieved.

"Where are they going?" Tenshinhan asked baffled.

"They're not going to North City; that's the other way!" Piccolo muttered.

_'So they're heading south of here...'_ Hairiyu deducted. A lot of places were south of here! What were they after, if anything? For all they know it could have just been a random direction!

"I've got it!" Krillin cried panicked. "They've gone after Goku! Dr Gero's goal was to get back at Goku for destroying the Red Ribbon Army!"

Hairiyu looked wide-eyed and nervous at the bald fighter. So the androids were heading for Goku's house? Goku was sick and recovering from his heart virus; there was no way he'd recovered within the past couple of hours! That meant that Chichi and Yamcha were also in danger!

"How can we be sure that's where they're going?" Tenshinhan asked. "They rebelled against Dr. Gero... do you think they'd still carry out his orders?"

"Who cares where they went!"

Hairiyu's glance turned to her obviously frustrated father.

"I was right here and they ignored me!" He spat, "Did they think I wasn't worth their time?" His ki jolted up as he transformed into a Super Saiyan.

Trunks dashed forwards and blocked Vegeta from taking off. "Y-You mustn't go after them! Be patient! Please just wait a little while!"

"H-He's right dad," Hairiyu spoke up hovering forwards towards them, "We don't know what they're fully capable of! Maybe we ought to do as Trunks says and wait until all of us are here to fight!"

"You mean until Kakarrot gets better?" Vegeta snorted.

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded.

"... Kakarrot?" Trunks raised a confused eyebrow.

"He means Goku," Hairiyu explained.

"Right," Trunks nodded, "...then yes! We'll never win unless we all fight together, including Goku!"

"You two have the wrong idea... It isn't the androids I hate the most – it's Kakarrot!" Vegeta smirked. "I will finish these androids by myself with no help from you or Kakarrot!"

"What is your problem with working with other people?" Hairiyu bellowed, her frustration starting to get the better of her. "We're all in the same boat here; we're all trying to beat these androids and stop them from destroying the planet like they have in Trunks' time! What is so hard to understand about that?"

"Shut up and stay out of my way!" Vegeta barked back. "I fight alone! I don't need any of your help to beat these androids! What do you find so hard to understand about that?"

"You're insane!" Trunks cried. "You can't do it by yourself! You'll just be going to your death!"

Vegeta struck out, punching Trunks in the stomach and knocking all the breath from his lungs, Trunks clutching his stomach with both arms.

"Now stay of my way!" Vegeta yelled taking off.

"... Trunks!" It finally stuck her he'd been hit! Hairiyu put a worried arm on her brother's shoulder, supporting him as best she could. "Are you ok?"

"Trunks!" Tenshinhan and Krillin had come to join them.

"...Please go after him!" Trunks stammered through short breaths. "He can't beat them alone! We have to wait until Goku gets better or we're all doomed!"

Hairiyu bared her teeth in frustration, "he never listens!" She growled. "Why's he gotta be so stupid?"

"Vegeta's long-gone now," Krillin muttered. "There's no way we can catch up to him now!"

"How does he expect to find the androids anyway, it's not like he'll be able to sense them!" Hairiyu pouted.

"Let's waste no more time," Piccolo muttered. "We'll find Vegeta or the androids one way or another if we head over towards Goku's house."

"Right," Krillin agreed. "It shouldn't be too difficult since they looked like they were flying slowly."

"... At least we'd be able to sense dad," Hairiyu muttered, looking to her right as she felt Trunks lean away from her; he seemed to have recovered from his hit. "You ok now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Trunks nodded.

"Then let's go." Piccolo ordered.


	52. Chapter 051

**Chapter 051 - Terror Of The Androids**

The flight towards Goku's wasn't too long though it was full of suspence and worry. It wasn't like any of them had a clue where the androids could be since they had no ki to detect. Thankfully Vegeta's ki was detectable so they could keep an eye on him and track him if need-be! Even with the gap between them Hairiyu could sense her father's ki clearly, especially since he was now a Super Saiyan. It almost made his ki impossible not to notice! She flew alongside Trunks and Piccolo, itching to find either her dad or the androids. She had calmed down since Vegeta and Trunks' conflict and had begun to worry about him; his ki told her he was still healthy yet from what she could sense, it was fluctuating every-so-often.

He was fighting.

"He's found them..." Piccolo muttered. "I can't sense his opponent's ki!"

"Crap, why'd he have to find them?" Krillin cursed. "Still at least we know they haven't reached Goku's house! That should be able to buy us some time!"

"Maybe but we don't know how much time Vegeta may have..." Piccolo replied.

Hairiyu gulped and averted her eyes down to the land wizzing by below them. She was concerned for her father's wellbeing, especially since Trunks was certain not even the Super Saiyan form would be enough to last against these androids. It was strange how Dr Gero had eventually decided that he (as Android Twenty) and Nineteen would be sufficient enough to beat her and her friends rather than send these other powerful androids. Then again it had been made more than clear to them he'd had little to no control over Seventeen and Eighteen. She wondered why he'd chosen to make something so powerful and risk being disobeyed...

"We have to stop him! He's such a fool but we'll need him for the fight too!" Trunks growled. "Why does he think he can beat them alone?"

Hairiyu looked at her brother curious; he seemed a little angry yet anxious. "... Hey, don't take it to heart Trunks," she spoke sympathetically, "dad's a jerk to everyone!"

"He's always fought by himself, relying on his own strength. He's a true warrior," Piccolo explained. "He upholds the pride and honour of a warrior which is probably amplified by him being the Saiyan Prince... I just hope his confidence is backed up by his strength. He managed to beat one of the androids with relative ease... Maybe he can beat these others too."

"... But when he fought the other androids, it was a one-on-one fight," Hairiyu frowned. "He's all by himself and there are three of them... What if they've all ganged up on him?"

"Well judging by his power level still being so high, I'm not sure that's what's happened," Krillin answered. "... Look, Vegeta's probably stronger than Goku right now – he's the best fighter we've got! I'd say it's safe to place our bets that he'll win!"

"... No... You're all underestimating these androids!" Trunks spoke sombrely. "None of us can face them alone! In my time these androids killed you all! We have to wait for Goku to recover no matter what!"

Hairiyu looked back ahead feeling tense, they were now closing in on her father's ki. Her brother was right; he'd come to the past to save Goku from his heart virus and to warn them about these androids. If there were to be any major differences between the two times, surely Goku was the one to make them! Her thoughts trailed to Gohan and her mother, wondering if they'd arrived home safely yet...

"We're here!" Tenshinhan cried. "I can see them down below!"

There! Her father's ki was located down below them! The area was trecherous and covered with mountains and outcrops; below a small road snaked its way through the mountains, parts of it inches from the edge of the plateau that had been carved away. Below was a small stream and a grassy field littered with hedges and trees. Indeed she could see the androids standing in the middle of the road metres away from a large gaping hole in the road, as if a large chunk of the mountain road had collapsed or been destroyed. She couldn't see any sign of her dad but there was dust billowing out of a small hole in the side of the mountain face. The group all descended down to the ground, landing inches behind Eighteen. Hairiyu felt on-edge as the group had landed between the fight and where Sixteen and Seventeen stood, though none of them decided to make a move.

"Hey, are you alright in there, Vegeta?" Trunks called out.

_'Why don't you just call him dad?'_ Hairiyu wondered, forgetting Vegeta had not been there to find out from Piccolo of Trunks' origins, though she was unaware he already knew.

"Of course I am!"Vegeta's voice came from around the corner of the hole. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Hairiyu peered around Krillin, eager not to get too close to these androids. To her relief her father emerged more-or-less in good health, save for a couple of scratches and a few areas where he was bleeding. He was still a Super Saiyan which was the biggest relief; at least his ki was still plentiful.

"Little pests..." He sneered. "Why have you come? I told you I don't need your help – and I don't want it either!"

"H-Hey," Tenshinhan stuttered, "Seventeen's coming this way!"

Hairiyu whirled around, almost taking a nervous step forward when she spotted Seventeen making his way towards them, Sixteen standing quite a way back from them.

They were surrounded.

"Vegeta, we have to get out of here!" Trunks cried. "Pride is nothing if you get yourself killed! Please, listen to me!"

"Shut up!" Vegeta spat. "Do you want me to hit you again? Just get out of my sight!"

"You can run away if you want," Eighteen butted in. "We're not interested in those who run or who are weak..."

_'That's good to know!'_ Hairiyu sighed in relief, gulping down a lump in her throat.

"You must be joking!" Vegeta snorted in disgus. "You want me to leave when I was just about to finish you off? Don't associate me with them! They're all a bunch of snivelling cowards! I'd rather die fighting alone than join hands with any Earthling or Namekian – and especially with Kakarrot!"

Hairiyu crossed her brow in frustration. _'It didn't stop you from joining up with us against Freeza!'_ She noted to herself annoyed. Had her father's Super Saiyan status gone to his head?

The sound of clapping caught her and everyone else's ears and all turned to see Seventeen had reached them.

"Nice speech," he casually smiled, "... that and those fighting skills. You truly are a Saiyan Prince."

Vegeta spat on the ground and smiled, "I don't need a puppet's praise! You're just a brat under all that armour!"

Hairiyu warily stared at Seventeen unsure of why he'd come over to them. Was he planning to jump them or something? He didn't seem as if he would yet she hadn't forgotten what he'd done earlier to Dr Gero; the memory still made her feel sick! This android was definately not to be underestimated.

"Listen, all of you," he spoke. "I know you all respect the code of the warrior, so I don't expect any of you to interfere between Vegeta and Eighteen's match... but if you do then I'll be forced to step in."

The tense girl gulped; that was bad. If it looked like her father was in trouble at any point, she wouldn't be able to jump in without Seventeen joining the fight? She was pretty confident she'd be taken out easily by these androids and didn't favour her chances, but would she be able to hold herself back if her dad was in danger? She doubted it; as much as he didn't care about anyone but himself and as much of a jerk he was, he was still her father and Hairiyu didn't want him to die. She'd already lost him once, she didn't want it to happen again!

"You don't have to worry about them; they're all a bunch of cowards! They won't risk their lives to save me!" Vegeta had responded.

"Then shall we continue?" Eighteen asked.

"Bring it on," Vegeta answered.

"That's the spirit!" Eighteen charged forwards, her movement taking Hairiyu by surprise as she almost lost sight of the blonde android!

The fight that pursued was an amazement to watch; it seemed that the two fighters were evenly matched. Hairiyu watched eagerly as her father and the android exchanged blows, their fight leading down to the gorge below them. Vegeta knocked Eighteen to the ground and fired off the attack he'd used earlier against Nineteen, catching the off-guard android by surprise.

The explosion rocked the ground below her feet but Hairiyu withstood it, eyes alert to any signs of the android within the rubble. She emerged standing, clothes slightly tattered. It didn't look like she'd taken any damage which worried Hairiyu slightly. Had she absorbed the attack through her palms? No, she was sure she'd heard both Trunks and the androids say they didn't have that capability.

The battle continued, Vegeta continued to dominate over Eighteen as the two fought in hand-to-had combat below the mountainside.

"He's got her on the ropes!" Tenshinhan smiled.

"Yeah... Maybe he can win this after all," Krillin nodded.

Hairiyu glanced at Trunks, a little surprised to see the amazed look on his face. "What is it? What's wrong?" She asked.

The question seemed to knock the boy from the future out of his thoughts. "Oh... It's alright, I just didn't realise that fa- I mean Vegeta – was so strong!"

Hairiyu smiled, "It's ok, I know you're my brother but from the future! Our dad is strong, isn't he?"

"I didn't realise he was so strong," Trunks nodded and went back to watching the fight, Hairiyu doing the same for a short time before looking at the other's reactions. Both Tenshinhan and Krillin had small smiles on their faces, Trunks watching eagerly.

"He's going to be killed..."

Hairiyu turned to Piccolo alerted and horrified at his words. "What?" She exclaimed panicked. "What makes you say that, Piccolo?"

Normally, Piccolo was right in his predictions. That just made it harder to swallow for her.

"Look, the android is slowly wearing him down," Piccolo explained. "Vegeta's stamina is reduced with every attack yet the android doesn't lose any energy. She's making him use up his energy and then she'll attack him!"

Hairiyu looked back down at the fight, slightly agape and worried. She could see the dominance slowly changing sides, Eighteen now getting more strikes in and her father seemingly growing less and less capable of defending himself. Where he'd been pushing Eighteen back, he was now being pushed back himself. Each blow took his energy down further; she could see her dad was growing tired and yet the android didn't share this same limit, the fight just becoming more and more one-sided now. "... Dad..." She mumbled growing anxious.

She couldn't jump in. Seventeen would then join the fight if she did, but she didn't want her dad to die! Trunks had said these androids would kill everyone today; he'd travelled into the past to try and prevent it from happening! She wouldn't just let herself stand and watch this anymore; she'd been doing that her whole life! Her emotions were increasingly taking hold of her; her fists clenched and began to tremble as the android tossed her father around.

Vegeta's scream pierced through her thoughts as he crashed into an elevated rock, slumping down to a sitting position. The android was making her way towards him, she seemed unharmed despite all the damage she'd been dealt.

_'Piccolo's right! At this rate he's gonna be killed!'_ Hairiyu panicked. _'What do I do?'_

Vegeta shot forwards to attack, the android striking him in the jaw sending the Saiyan stumbling a couple of feet. She chased him, Vegeta turned.

There was a terrifying, teeth-grinding crack as bone was displaced in the Saiyan's arm.

Hairiyu gasped and started horrified and furious; her father's arm hung unnaturally, twisted and limp, her father taking a few steps forwards before crashing to his knees and screaming out in agony.

That was it! She didn't care anymore about the androids!

"DAD!"

The sudden movement to her right startled her and kept her in her place, terrified perhaps Seventeen was about to strike her! It wasn't Seventeen who now dashed down – it was Trunks – and a Super Saiyan Trunks no less!

"That idiot!" Piccolo cried.

Hairiyu wasn't sure whether to follow or not – he was a Super Saiyan in his own right and she wasn't! The anger had been replaced by confusion and the adrenaline was still pumping through her body.

Trunks grabbed his sword and swung down, striking Eighteen in the arm. She couldn't tell from where she was standing but the strike seemed to have had no effect on her at all!

A dark blur dashed forwards from her left. It took a second before she realised who it was and panic quickly gripped her. Before she knew it she'd cried out her brother's name and had dashed forwards after the android. "Trunks move!" She bellowed.

Seventeen struck Trunks down, the boy crashing straight onto his face.

Hairiyu closed in on the android despite Piccolo's calls for her to come back; she was determined to help her dad and brother out even if it put her own life at risk! With a sudden rush of fearlessness she held both hands above her head and went to slam Seventeen in the head just as he had her brother.

The android turned and dodged gracefully.

The next thing Hairiyu knew she was crashing into the ground hard, pushing loose fragments of rock out of her way before she zoned out...

-

When she finally came to the first thing she felt was the sharp pain in her left cheek. She thought she remembered Seventeen kicking her clean in the jaw just before she could strike him. She now lay embedded in the rocky ground. Slowly she sat herself up, looking around with blurred vision.

Piccolo was down, as was Tenshinhan. Trunks had lost his Super Saiyan form and seemed to be out cold judging by the feel of his ki. Vegeta was also down but still had his aura. She couldn't see Krillin which sent panic through her body. Was he dead?

Suddenly her father rose, blasting out at Eighteen who easily dodged the close-range beam, much to Hairiyu's shock and amazement. She was incredibly fast! Eighteen struck her father down in the face, Vegeta crashing to his knees once again.

The sight brought her to her feet almost in auto-pilot and she began to gather ki in her palms. Eighteen continued to attack the Saiyan Prince much to Hairiyu's fear and fury; she needed just a little more time! She was tired of being too afraid to help others and was determined not to let anyone down ever again! Her ki soared higher and higher as her energy charged up, readying her Kentoka Flash.

Eighteen stood over Vegeta who by now seemed to be down for good, "I'd better disable your other arm." She muttered, pressing one foot against his other arm. Her father's screams were too much for her to hear! That was enough!

Hairiyu screamed out as she tossed her hands forwards, the blue Kentoka Flash shooting straight for Eighteen. The android turned just as the beam hit, embedding her and Vegeta in a billowing cloud of smoke and dust completely blocking them both from Hairiyu's sight. She cautiously watched, suddenly remembering Seventeen was around somewhere and glancing up; he still hovered up in the sky yet for some reason he made no move towards her which baffled Hairiyu.

"Don't worry, it's a one-on-one match again...I'd keep your eyes on the smoke," he smiled coolly as if he knew what she was thinking.

Hairiyu turned back even more unnerved than before; she was the only one left again? Her thoughts quickly stopped as Eighteen emerged from the dust looking a little ruffled; her clothes tattered and ripped.

"Not bad for such a little kid," she muttered indifferent, though there was a small hint of annoyance in her voice.

Hairiyu couldn't believe her eyes! _'Yikes... That was my strongest attack! Darn it! Now what?'_

"I think I wanna finish up playing around Eighteen and find Goku's place," Seventeen announced from up above.

"Right," Eighteen nodded.

Hairiyu clenched her fists; she couldn't let them find Goku especially since Chichi and Yamcha would also be in danger! Knowing it wasn't in her best interests as far as living went, she ignored her brain and charged forward towards Eighteen, drawing a fist back to attack.

Eighteen turned into a blur for the briefest of moments leaving Hairiyu alert to her movement.

A sharp blow to the back of her head sent Hairiyu shooting forwards uncontrollably straight for the cliff-face they'd stood on earlier. Despite the pain and dizziness she felt, Hairiyu attempted to control her flight before she hit the wall. Her movement only sped up as she found herself being propelled forwards by a ki attack which had been fired off by the android! The rocks moved closer at a faster pace Hairiyu screamed and braced herself for impact. She violently made contact and was thrown through the mountainside. Rocks caved in on top of her and Hairiyu felt her mind slip, closing her eyes and giving into the pain.


	53. Chapter 052

**Chapter 052 - Piccolo's Plan**

"...riyu... Hairiyu! Come on kid, wake up!"

That was Krillin's voice; he was close-by. Hairiyu realised she could feel someone shaking her quite roughly by the shoulders; whoever it was shaking her was annoying her with their harsh treatment! Agitated she opened her eyes about to speak when she realised it was Krillin; he looked rather worried.

"Phew... Glad to see you're awake," He sighed closing his eyes and letting go of her. "I was worried not even the senzu bean would help!"

"The senzu..." So that explained the bad taste in her mouth; she hated the taste of senzu beans! Hairiyu was about to ask when she suddenly remembered what had happened before she'd woken, hurriedly trying to rise to her feet but falling under her own weight.

"Hey, easy there," Krillin held her down gently, "You took quite a blow to the head! Looks like your balance still isn't back!"

"W-Where's everyone else, Krillin? Where are the androids? What happened after I got knocked out? Is everyone else ok?" Hairiyu fired off a frenzied mouthful of questions.

"Calm down kiddo!" Krillin smiled, "the others are fine..." He glanced over his shoulder briefly, "Looks like your dad flew off though! As for the androids, they took off for Goku's..."

"Oh," Hairiyu frowned disappointed. So they hadn't been able to stop the androids after all.

"Glad to see you're alright," Trunks stepped forwards. "Looks like everyone made it out the fight alive."

"You're ok as well aren't you Trunks?" Hairiyu asked flinching a little as a dizzy spell hit her. She rested one hand tenderly on her scalp and opened one eye. "... Wow... I must have hit my head hard!"

"Well you were pile-driven head-first into a rock wall! It's no surprise really," Krillin explained.

Hairiyu looked around spotting Tenshinhan and Piccolo were nearby; they both seemed ok. "... So did anyone beat the androids?"

Both Trunks and Krillin frowned, neither of them answered her. Hairiyu looked down at her lap and felt her heart sink. None of them had stood a chance against these androids, just as Trunks had said. Her dad had his insides kicked out and he was supposed to be their strongest fighter right now, even stronger than Goku. Plus Piccolo was an amazing fighter and yet he'd been floored with minimal effort by Seventeen! What chance did they have against these unstoppable monsters?

"Come on, let's get you up on your feet," Krillin put Hairiyu's arm over his shoulder and lifted her up, "We'll head over to the others. Hopefully Tenshinhan and Piccolo are coming up with a plan."

Hairiyu allowed herself to be walked across the cracked and broken ground, lost in her own thoughts until Tenshinhan's voice was loud enough to break through them.

"We've got to face facts," the three-eyed fighter was speaking, "Goku's powerful but he's not so different from Trunks or Vegeta! At this rate we can't win, even with Goku."

A small moment of silence gripped the group as they all absorbed this painful fact. It wasn't easy to admit and it had taken a lot of strength for Tenshinhan to speak out; none of the others had wanted to say it!

"... These androids were a little different from the ones I know," Trunks spoke up. "The ones from my time weren't that terrifyingly strong; I could even put up a decent fight against them."

"It's hopeless..." Tenshinhan mumbled quietly. "What are we going to do now?"

Hairiyu looked down at the ground and tried to think, finding her brain felt too frazzled and empty to come up with any good suggestions.

"... You guys head to Goku's house and move him somewhere else," Piccolo instructed. "We can think about our options once he gets better."

"Right," Krillin nodded. "... What are you going to do?"

Hairiyu looked up at her mentor, noticing he seemed to be contemplating something he didn't quite like judging by the scowl on his face.

"Who knows...?" He muttered.

"Do you have a plan Piccolo?" Hairiyu asked. "You always have that look on your face when you've thought of something."

Piccolo stayed quiet.

"... Come on, you can tell us," Krillin smiled, "We're your friends."

"Shut up!" Piccolo bellowed, his body language drastically changing from calm to aggressive. "Don't push your luck! When do you think I became your friend?"

Hairiyu was completely taken aback by her mentor's sudden change in attitude! "... But-" She started, cut off by the Namekian.

"I'm a demon; the offspring of the great demon king Piccolo! I'm merely using you to take over the world! Now if you follow me, I'll kill you!" With that he took off into the distance, leaving the baffled group behind.

"... I forgot he used to be the great demon king." Tenshinhan muttered after a while. "So he's still been planning world domination all this time?"

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow puzzled, "... I don't know..." she mumbled confused, "Piccolo looked like something was troubling him..."

"Don't worry about him," Krillin smiled. "I think the take over the world thing was just a mask. He's just like Goku and Vegeta; he wants to be stronger than everyone else! My guess is that he's got a plan and has gone off to figure out his trump card..."

"You think so Krillin?" Hairiyu asked. "I didn't think he was that angry at us but something's bothering him... Piccolo doesn't usually look that frustrated."

"So what's his trump card?" Tenshinhan asked.

"He flew off towards something," Krillin pointed, "any of you guys got any idea what's over in that direction?"

"... I dunno," Hairiyu shrugged her shoulders. She tried to work out what direction Krillin was pointing in via the sun's position in the sky; so he was heading west... What was over there?

"It's Kami's place," Krillin answered after no one made a suggestion. "The Great Elder of Namek once told me that Piccolo and Kami used to be one person and if they hadn't split into two people, they – or he – wouldn't have lost to the Saiyans! I think Piccolo's gone to try and merge back with Kami to a single entity."

"... Oh yeah..." Hairiyu mumbled more to herself, though she wasn't sure if she was faintly remembering hearing about it or making it up! She found she was able to stand on her own feet now and pulled herself free from Krillin. "I'm ok now, I can stand."

"Good to hear," Krillin smiled. "Anyway, Kami and Piccolo are gonna become a single Namekian warrior again. Piccolo's drastically improved over the years so this fighter will be unbelievably strong! If Goku's a Super Saiyan then Piccolo will be a Super Namekian!"

"Wait... if they do that then there'll be no Kami and the Dragonballs will disappear," Tenshinhan realised.

"If that happens, we can't wish anyone back to life!" Hairiyu gulped terrified. Although none of the other fighters around her were aware of it she'd already died and been brought to life with the Dragonballs here. If she died again she wouldn't be able to be brought back! That thought didn't sit too well in her stomach and part of her screamed for her to stop Piccolo from joining with Kami!

"At this moment in time it doesn't really matter," Krillin replied. "If either Kami or Piccolo is killed, the Dragonballs will vanish anyway! If Piccolo's really giving up his identity then he really must feel cornered; that's how scary these enemies are! He used to hate everything about Kami..."

"What do you think my d- I mean Vegeta's going to do?" Trunks asked changing the subject.

"... Why'd you call him by his name, Trunks?" Hairiyu raised a confused eyebrow.

"It's ok, we all know you're Bulma and Vegeta's son from the future," Krillin explained.

Trunks seemed a little taken back, "... Sorry I didn't tell you..." He apologised.

"It's ok," Tenshinhan spoke with a soft smile. "There's no need to apologise."

"... Come to think of it, you said dad flew off, right Krillin?" Hairiyu asked clarifying. She hadn't seen her dad since she'd woken back up. "Why did he fly off anyway?"

"Who knows what's going through his head, although Piccolo reckons he's in a bad mood because of his defeat," Krillin replied.

"I hope he's alright," Hairiyu frowned.

"Don't worry, either of you," Tenshinhan replied. "Vegeta's not the type to run away just because he lost once. He's pride personified! I'm sure he'll come up with some devastating new attack and challenge the androids again."

Hairiyu smiled at the warrior and nodded. He was right; her dad wasn't a quitter. He'd always come bouncing back after a defeat, grown far stronger and learnt some sort of new technique.

"We'd better get to Goku's place before the androids reach him," Krillin muttered. "Whatever happens we need to move him to a safer place; at least that way he should survive a little longer."

-

The group headed south-south-east towards Mount Paozu and Goku's home, all the while Hairiyu trying to hone in on the others' ki. Indeed Piccolo was far, far off to the west and her father was far away to the south-west. Goku's ki – although weak and wildly fluctuating – was ahead of them. Being able to still sense his ki was such a comfort for Hairiyu right now; Goku always managed to make the difference and it was looking increasingly likely they would all need to depend on him once more.

As she'd expected, she'd been powerless against these androids. Admitting that to herself frustrated her; she didn't like it at all. Her dad was somewhere by himself probably trying to think of a way to become stronger and beat these androids; Piccolo was trying to become stronger... So why wasn't she trying as well? She couldn't leave it up to the others to save her and she didn't want to! _'There must be a way I can become stronger too...'_

"Hey Trunks, how long until you think Goku gets better?" Krillin asked.

"Knowing Goku, I'd say he'll be fine again in ten days," Trunks replied.

"Ten days... We should be able to stay out of sight for that long!" Krillin murmured. "Of course, we don't even know if Goku can beat these things! I guess we're quite lucky these androids don't seem to have power sensors!"

"Yeah..." Trunks nodded.

There were a couple of minutes of silence, each warrior left to their own thoughts.

"... Trunks, can I ask you something?" Hairiyu asked finally breaking the silence, save the wind whistling past their ears.

"Sure," the lavender haired boy nodded.

"You said that only Gohan and I survived the battle against the androids in your time..." Hairiyu spoke, "...and that eventually the androids killed both me and Gohan, right?"

"Yeah," Trunks nodded grimly.

Hairiyu pondered this for a moment before choosing to continue. "... Just how much stronger was I when I died compared to now?"

"... Honestly, I can't say I remember how strong you were," Trunks replied, "It's hard for me to say since you died so long ago. Sorry I can't be of more help."

"Don't worry about it..." Hairiyu frowned. So she had no idea how much stronger she needed to become. Then again Trunks had said the androids in this time were stronger than the ones in his time; what did it matter how strong she was compared to them in his time? It still wouldn't have been enough!

"... From what I remember you and Gohan put up a decent fight together when you worked as a team," Trunks added. "I think the androids knew that so they too fought as a team."

"Hey, I'm gonna head back to Chaozu," Tenshinhan decided, "I know he'll be worried about me. I'll be back before the fight starts again... Although I doubt I'll be much use."

"OK, we'll take Goku to Master Roshi's place," Krillin replied. "We can probably buy more time there."

"Tell Goku not to do anything until he gets better," Tenshinhan smiled.

"See you soon Tenshinhan, tell Chaozu I said hi!" Hairiyu waved as the fighter parted company with them heading to wherever he'd left Chaozu.

Then there were three.

The trio continued to fly towards Goku's home.

"... You know, I wish I could believe Goku was capable of doing anything!" Krillin sighed sounding disheartened.

"Of course he can; he's Goku!" Hairiyu smiled. "He always seems to be able to do something when we're in situations like this!"

"... Why did history change so much?" Trunks asked. "The androids weren't so powerful in the time I live in and there were just two of them..."

"Don't ask me, I only know the reality I'm stuck in!" Krillin shrugged his shoulders.

"... I know this is a little off-topic but..." Hairiyu butted in, "... Do I call you my big brother or little brother?"

Both Trunks and Krillin looked taken back.

"... What are you talking about at a time like this?" Krillin chuckled. "You're worrying over something like that?"

"Well I'd like to work it out but I'm stuck!" Hairiyu pouted. "Trunks is supposed to be my little brother since he's born after me, but right now this Trunks is older than me, so it just seems weird to call him my little brother!"

"Um..." Trunks began to blush lightly and pondered the thought for a moment. "... Just call me big brother then..."

"Ok then, I always wanted an older sibling!" Hairiyu smiled, "That makes me your little sister! Weird, huh?"

"...Yeah..." Trunks nodded shyly.

-

It took a further hour before the trio finally came to Goku's home, landing outside the small house tucked away in the mountains of East District four-three-seven. It hadn't been that long since Hairiyu's last trip here; she'd spent the last three years travelling to this small house to start her training. It almost felt like a second home to her and Chichi had been very receptive of her visiting.

"Hey, I've got a question..." Krillin mumbled as they approached the door. "These androids, they're definitely bad guys, right?"

"What?" Trunks seemed surprised. "They'll devastate the world, or at least they did in my time... Why?"

"N-Nothing, I was just hoping they weren't!" Krillin answered jittery.

"Why?" Hairiyu asked. "So we don't have to fight them?"

"There's no point in hoping for the absurd," Trunks replied.

"I know, I know!" Krillin agreed. "It just crossed my mind, that's all..."

"... It would be nice though..." Hairiyu mumbled more to herself than the boys.

Krillin knocked on the door a couple of times. He was given no prior warning or time to avoid it as the door struck him clean in the head with a large crash! Chichi suddenly appeared hanging off the door handle screaming, "Is that you Gohan?"

Her disappointment quickly became apparent as she realised it wasn't her son. Hairiyu frowned a little; so Gohan hadn't gotten back from Capsule Corp yet? Part of her had wished she'd gone with him or she'd been the one to take her mother home...

"Hi Chichi..." Krillin greeted through gritted teeth, tending to his sore head.

"It's you Krillin," Chichi looked at the visitors. "Oh, Hairiyu's here too?"

"This is Goku's wife," Krillin mumbled to Trunks, who politely bowed.

"Nice to meet you."

"This is the boy from the future who came to warn us about Goku's heart virus," Hairiyu introduced her brother. "He's actually my little brother, Trunks!"

"W-What?" Chichi blinked flabbergasted, "You have a brother?"

Yamcha appeared through the doorway and rushed over demanding to know what had happened. Krillin quickly filled him in on what had happened with the androids. The news quickly turned to the trio coming to this exact location in their search for Goku. Quickly preparations were made to move the ill-stricken fighter to Master Roshi's house. While Krillin and Yamcha moved Goku from his house to the airship Yamcha owned, Hairiyu assisted Chichi in packing essentials and some clothes.

Her thoughts trailed as she gathered whatever Chichi asked her to get, wondering how her dad and Piccolo were doing. She'd decided to track Gohan's ki as she worked, almost watching as his bright energy drew closer and closer to them. She hoped they had enough time to flee before the androids came otherwise they were in deep trouble! She felt sympathetic to Chichi, Goku and Gohan; hearing a terrifyingly powerful enemy heading to their own house sounded horrifying, she wondered if they would ransack the place when they arrived in their search.

Finally everything was packed. Hairiyu helped the others load up Yamcha's plane and quickly took her place on the floor, sitting cross-legged near to Goku who'd been laid to rest in the centre of the floor on his bedding. Now all they had to do was wait.

"Gohan should be here soon," Krillin muttered through tense and gritted teeth. "Come on kid..."

After a couple of minutes, Hairiyu abruptly stood and rushed out the hatch; she could sense Gohan had finally arrived. "Gohan!" She cried rushing out the door running towards him as he landed. "How'd it go? Did mama get home safely?"

Gohan seemed surprised to see her – not to mention see what was going on outside his house! "Y-Yeah, she's home now... What's going on?" He asked. "Why's everyone here? Did something happen?"

"We'll tell you on the plane," Krillin answered. "Right now we need to get out of here."


	54. Chapter 053

**Chapter 053 - Unexpected Discovery**

The engines of the jet were on full power as the ship slowly made its way over the continent below. Krillin was explaining to Chichi, Gohan and Yamcha what had happened for most of the day; the appearance of the androids, how Vegeta and Piccolo had dominated them, how one had turned out to be Dr. Gero, what had happened at his lab, and finally the battle with the new, stronger trio. It was a lot of information to take in and none of them seemed to be able to hide their shock at the day's events.

"... So they think killing Goku is some kind of game," Krillin finished.

"They're really that strong?" Gohan asked peering up from his book; Chichi had made him study on the way to Master Roshi's!

"Gohan, eyes on your book!" Chichi ordered; Gohan obediently listening to his mother, though Hairiyu was convinced he was feigning his studying judging by how much attention he was paying to the conversation.

"Yeah, they're unbelievably strong," She nodded grimly, "not even my dad, Piccolo or Trunks could stand up to them for long! Dad's gone missing somewhere and Piccolo's at Kami's place. Trunks said these androids are a lot stronger than the androids in his time too!"

"So what are we going to do?" Yamcha asked, looking back from the pilot's seat.

"Who knows what we should do?" Krillin replied. "It's crazy..."

A brief lull came over the ship as everyone was left to their devices. Only the gentle hum of the ship and Gohan pretending to turn the page was heard.

"... How about this..." Trunks spoke out after a while, "... I go back further into the past with my time machine and destroy the androids before they're activated. We know where Dr. Gero's lab is now."

"Yeah," Yamcha smiled, "Why wouldn't it work?"

"Wait..." Krillin pondered a little, "... Didn't you say the time machine isn't perfect? I remember Goku telling me it takes a long time to charge up too. What if you get sent to the wrong time and are trapped there?"

Hairiyu felt a wave of worry come over her; getting trapped in a different time sounded terrifying! "... If you did that, would you be able to get to the past and then back to the future again?"

"... I don't know..." Trunks frowned looking down to the floor.

"I was thinking," Gohan spoke, "even if Trunks went back in time and destroyed the androids, would it have an effect on the ones here in our time? Would they disappear?"

Chichi glared and grabbed her son's head, tilting it back to his book!

"That's right!" Trunks gasped. "The future of that time would be saved from the androids but it wouldn't change this timeline where the androids already exist!"

"What do you mean?" Krillin was confused.

"Well, in your time Goku's been saved by the medicine I gave you," Trunks explained, "but in my time Goku died from the heart virus. In other words there's a future where Goku has died and another future where he's survived. Each change in the past creates new futures."

"Alright then... answer me this," Krillin spoke, "If Goku defeats the androids here, won't the androids in your time still exist?"

"That's right," Trunks nodded.

"Then why'd you come back to the past if it won't change your time?" Yamcha asked perplexed.

Trunks didn't immediately answer, "... Mother said it was horrible what the androids did to us in our time, she said there deserves to be a peaceful future where they were destroyed. So she sent me here for that, but also to see if by watching Goku fight, I could somehow find the androids' weaknesses. If that didn't work, I was to bring Goku to our future with the time machine..."

"Mama really is smart to have made a time machine and to think of all these different plans," Hairiyu smiled.

"Yeah, it would have worked but I've come to a past that's slightly different from the one I knew," Trunks frowned. "The timing of Goku's illness was different, there are three androids and they're much, much stronger."

"I wonder why it's so different," Gohan mumbled, not looking up from his book in fear he would incur his mother's wrath.

"I really don't know," Trunks answered, "What changed? Was it me coming into the past once before that did it?"

"Don't worry yourself about it." Chichi smiled settling down on Goku's makeshift bed. "Goku would have died if you hadn't come along so for that I'm grateful."

"Things will work out," Krillin leaned off the wall of the plane and unfolded his arms.

"I hope so," Trunks nodded.

"We'll be at Master Roshi's house soon," Yamcha announced.

Hairiyu rose to her feet listening to the conversation behind her as she wandered over to the nearest window, peering down at the earth below. The land was leaving them as the deep blue began to loom down below. So they were crossing the coast now; she wondered just how much longer it would be until they'd arrive.

Krillin had been nominated to give Bulma a call to let her know what had gone on, now the bald headed fighter was making his way to the co-pilot's seat. "Why do I have to be the one to call her?" He groaned.

"I'll call mama if you want, Krillin?" Hairiyu offered, feeling eager to get to speak to her mother again.

"Nah, don't worry about it..." Krillin sighed. "... No offence to you two but your mum always bites people's heads off!"

"She's still the same in the future," Trunks chuckled; Hairiyu giggling beside him at Krillin's comment. Her mother wasn't always the politest and patient of people!

The line was set up and Krillin had to pass his way through the receptionist of Capsule Corp before he could reach Bulma. "... Hey Bulma, it's Krillin."

"Krillin! So you finally decided to call!" Her mother's voice literally shouted through the speakers, making several of the plane's passengers jump! "Where are you calling from?" Bulma asked. "I just tried to ring Chichi and Goku's house but no one answered! Oh, is my future son there?"

"Y-Yeah, he's here," Krillin nodded confused.

Trunks and Hairiyu quickly exchanged puzzled looks before turning back to face Krillin.

"Great, put him on." Bulma's voice instructed.

"It's on loud-speaker," Krillin replied, "just go ahead."

Bulma began to go into detail about how someone far off in the west of the continent had found a strange capsule and had wanted to keep it, yet hadn't known what to do with it. Upon getting in contact with Capsule Corp, no one knew what model the strange vehicle was, so the man had sent them a picture of it. What it turned out to be baffled everyone.

"... It was Trunks' time machine and it was wrecked!" Bulma exclaimed.

Hairiyu double-took bewildered! Her eyes quickly darted to her brother who seemed stunned and had reached into his jacket pocket. "It can't be... I have it in capsule form right here!"

_'... Then what the heck is this other thing?'_ Hairiyu was clueless.

"Yeah? That's what I thought," Bulma spoke down the phone. "I thought it was weird because moss and stuff is growing on it and it looks really old... How many time machines did I build in the future?"

"You were barely able to build one!" Trunks answered.

"Well this is definitely the same thing; I've seen you in it before when you went back to the past! Do you guys have a fax machine; I can send the picture straight to you."

Seconds later a picture came through the built-in fax machine inside the ship, Hairiyu leaning around Krillin's seat to get a better view of it, unable to see as Trunks brought it closer to his face. She stood up on her toes and barely managed to get a decent glimpse. From what she saw it was her brother's time machine; it looked as if it had been sitting in that spot for ages! What was even more confusing was that Trunks had his time machine on him, so where had this one come from?

"... There's no mistake; this is my time machine." Trunks mumbled. "I don't understand... Does mum know where this is located?"

"Bulma, do you know exactly where this time machine is?" Krillin asked down the speaker.

"Not its exact location," Bulma answered. "I think it's in the western ten-fifty district. Are you planning to go there then?"

"Yes," Trunks nodded, "I have to see this with my own eyes!"

"Alright, I'll leave Capsule Corp and meet you there." Bulma shut the call off.

"Are you really sure there's only one time machine?" Yamcha asked as Trunks started preparing to leave.

"Yes, I'm positive," Trunks nodded.

"This is just getting more and more bizarre..." Krillin muttered.

"Hey Trunks," Gohan rose to his feet, "maybe I could help. Can I go with you?"

"H-Hey if Gohan's going then I wanna go too!" Hairiyu quickly added.

"Alright, you can both come along," Trunks smiled.

"G-Gohan!" Chichi rushed to her feet, "What about your studying? I'm not letting you go off and miss out on any more-"

"Mother, it's alright," Gohan smiled. "We won't be gone for long and it's not like we're going anywhere dangerous."

Yamcha opened the side door and the trio quickly departed, heading west once Trunks had set the co-ordinates into his watch.

Conversation was brief during the flight, Trunks telling the eager duo about his future time and the devastation they lived in. Quickly it died off, each fighter left to their own thoughts. It still dwelled on her mind how awful Trunks' life must have been during his time, Hairiyu feeling a little saddened by the thought. Her own death at the androids' hands played on her mind; part of her wanted to avoid coming into contact anymore with the androids yet she also felt her resolve refreshed and was determined not to let it happen. She had to become a stronger fighter somehow, she just had to!

"... To think those three years we spent training weren't enough..." She mumbled quietly to herself.

"Huh?" Gohan asked, apparently he'd heard her!

"Oh, nothing!" Hairiyu sheepishly rubbed her hair. "It's nothing; I was just talking to myself!"

"I was thinking," Trunks butted in. "The androids defied Dr. Gero's orders. Surely he must have already known how dangerous they were during the testing stages... So how did he stop them at that point?"

"... What are you getting at Trunks?" Hairiyu asked. "You think there's something that can stop the androids?"

"Yeah," Trunks nodded. "I think maybe there's some kind of off-switch Dr. Gero used. I can't see why he'd have activated them again without one..."

"Yeah!" Hairiyu gasped. "Don't you remember? Dr. Gero – before he was killed – he mentioned something about a deactivator! He said he could build another one!"

"So then that is the answer!" Gohan realised. "Trunks, you were right!"

"I just hope that it's possible there still might be a controller..." Trunks smiled.

Eventually the three half-Saiyans made it to West District ten-fifty and began their search for Trunks' time machine. It didn't take long until Gohan spotted it and the trio landed. Indeed it looked just like the picture Bulma'd faxed them earlier. There was a large hole in the glass dome; it looked as if it had been melted away. Hairiyu keenly examined the machine taking in as much detail as she could.

The sound of an aircraft approaching caught their ears.

"That must be Bulma," Gohan smiled. "I'll go flag her down." He trotted off and leapt up towards the plane, leaving Hairiyu and Trunks to continue their examination.

"This really looks like it's been here for ages..." Hairiyu mumbled. "You're definitely, definitely sure this isn't the one you came in?"

"I'll show you," Trunks took his capsule case from his pocket and tossed a capsule out into an open space near to the rusting time machine. In a flash of smoke his time machine appeared, completely intact and looking brand new! Indeed it matched the other model, save for the moss and damage the other model had taken.

"... I don't get this at all..." Hairiyu folded her arms. "Your time machine looks like it's in perfect condition where as this one looks like it's been sitting here for years!"

The sound of engines drew closer and closer and Bulma's craft landed, Gohan landing beside it. In seconds Bulma had gotten out of the craft and slammed the door. "Hey you two!" She rushed over. "Well, what do you think Trunks? Your mama looks beautiful in her youth, doesn't she?"

"Uh..." Trunks flushed bright red, "... actually you didn't really change that much..."

"I didn't? Well that's good news!" Bulma giggled.

"Mama, Trunks really does have his time machine with him," Hairiyu frowned. "How come there's another one here? I think it's been sitting here for ages since it's got moss on it..."

"Oh... So it really wasn't your time machine then?" Bulma asked with a little hint of surprise in her voice.

"No, it is. You only made one time machine in the future and this one is also mine," Trunks answered. He wandered over to the side of the broken ship and wiped some of the moss from it; black lines began to appear. "... Look, I wrote this just before I left to head into the past." He stood aside.

The lines were in fact letters spelling out the word hope.

"I don't understand, this looks like it's been here a long time..." Bulma began to ponder.

Trunks levitated above the damaged time machine and continued to examine it. Hairiyu wandered over and peered under the bottom of the time machine; there were no noticeable damaged sections of the machine like on the glass dome; just wear-and-tear from having sat dormant for a while. She stood back up straight and hovered up beside her brother and Gohan, peering into the machine as Trunks activated the dome door; the machine slowly reacting and creaking a lot under the strain.

"It's weird how this hole is here..." Gohan mumbled examining the dome, "it almost looks like the glass melted away from inside the time machine."

"So you think something was inside the time machine when it came back? I guess that would make sense..." Hairiyu contemplated. "Maybe whoever it was wasn't able to open the hatch so they blasted their way through."

"Hey... what's this?"

The two peered down to see what Trunks had found; he'd picked up a pair of purple hollow cases – or at least that's what Hairiyu thought they looked like! She'd never seen anything like these before!

"... What are they?" Gohan asked. "It's not a coconut shell, that's for sure!"

"Let me see," Bulma held out her hands; Trunks passing the strange objects down to her. She seemed to closely examine them, experimenting with them and clapping them together. "... Yeah... This defiantly has to be some sort of egg or shell."

"An egg?" Gohan repeated. "I've never seen an egg like that before."

Hairiyu looked at the strange egg before turning back to look at the hole in the dome, adding them together. "... So whatever was in the egg is caused the hole?"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Gohan agreed.

Trunks had begun to fidget with something inside the time machine; on closer inspection it was the buttons on the dashboard.

"What are you doing?" Hairiyu asked.

"I'm trying to see when the time machine set off and how long it's been here for," Trunks answered as he tapped away. "It's barely got any power left so hopefully I can get the answers before the battery dies!"

Hairiyu and Gohan both patiently watched as Trunks continued to hit buttons.

"... Age 788?" Trunks gasped. "That's three years further into the future from my time... It came here about four years ago."

"Three years after you?" Hairiyu repeated. "... So what, has something from another timeline come back to the past as well?"

"Yeah," Trunks nodded grimly. "It was here a whole year before I came back the first time to warn you guys! What came from the future... and why? Is this the reason why history's changed so much?"

Hairiyu assumed these were rhetorical questions as without another word he jumped back down from the time machine and stood for a moment. Hairiyu landed beside her mother, "Any ideas what it might be, mama?" She asked. "What could have come from an egg like this anyway?"

"I have no idea; I've never seen anything like it," Bulma replied. "It's almost alien to me..."

A small bang made Hairiyu turn around; Trunks had put the old time machine back into its capsule form and was walking over to the other.

"I'm gonna take these egg shells with me," Bulma decided. "I'll see if I can find out what species they come from." She changed the subject; "So where were you guys all heading off to in Yamcha's plane? Fill me in!"

"We're all staying at Master Roshi's place," Gohan explained. "The three androids are on the move and are after dad's life. Dad's sick in bed at the moment so we had to move him to safety."

"He came down with that heart virus Trunks told us about," Hairiyu added.

"Yeah, I remember you guys saying something like that before..." Bulma mused. "So why did you move him? Why didn't you just beat those androids up?"

Hairiyu frowned and looked at the floor a little ashamed. "We tried to but... It didn't go too well."

"Dad, Piccolo, Tenshinhan, Hairiyu and I all tried but we couldn't do anything," Trunks answered.

"Wow... they're that tough?" Bulma mumbled amazed. "So was Vegeta alright? Did he go to Kame house too?"

"Dad was saved by the senzu beans but he wouldn't go along with everyone else," Trunks replied.

"He really gave it his all against the androids but they were just too strong," Hairiyu added. "Even Piccolo didn't last very long! I got a couple of hits in but it didn't do anything to them at all..."

"... What's wrong Gohan?" Bulma noticed the boy wasn't paying too much attention to the conversation and was looking off to the left.

Hairiyu looked around to see Gohan staring off into space. "You ok?" She asked.

"... Just wondering what that is..." Gohan replied walking forwards to whatever had caught his attention. He wandered over to a small but elevated slab of rock and peered over it.

"Hey, come over here!"


	55. Chapter 054

**Chapter 054 - The Ultimate Android**

"Hey, come over here!" Gohan called frantically from behind the small ledge.

Hairiyu and Trunks quickly dashed over towards him, Bulma lagging behind them running as fast as she could. As soon as she'd reached him Hairiyu spotted what he'd seen and gasped, taking a step back almost reflexively! It took a second for her to realise it wasn't alive – it was the biggest bug shell she'd ever seen!

"Gross!" She quivered trying to swallow the lump in her throat, "W-What came from that thing?"

"What is that?" Bulma shrieked standing behind her daughter and holding onto her arm. "... Is it dead?"

"Whatever it is, it's huge," Trunks slowly approached it and looked it over. Gohan even went so far as to touch it, much to Hairiyu's discomfort. She wasn't too keen on getting any closer to whatever that was supposed to be; it gave her the creeps and sent goosebumps all over her!

"It's not dead, "Gohan realised, "It's actually an insect moult!"

"An insect? Is there even a cicada this big?" Bulma asked moving slightly closer to it now.

"No, there's no insect like this," Gohan shook his head.

"... It's probably what came out of the time machine," Trunks muttered.

"It must have grown up and then eventually shed its skin," Gohan added.

"... S-So there's a gigantic bug running around somewhere near here?" Hairiyu asked nervously.

"How did it even get here?" Trunks ignored his sister's obvious discomfort, "Did someone send it back into the past or did someone come here with it?"

Hairiyu began to look around; they were a little ways off the forest surrounding this clearing but she couldn't help shake off the fact there could be a nasty, huge bug crawling around near them. Her overactive imagination was playing tricks on her again; was it going to suddenly jump out and attack them?

"... It's still wet."

She turned to Trunks, recoiling when she saw purple goo dripping from his hand. "I can't believe you just did that! Trunks that's gross!"

"Not too comfortable around this are you?" Gohan laughed at her. "It's ok; it's only a bug shell. It's not gonna come to life and attack you!"

"I don't care, it's still gross," Hairiyu grumbled swallowing the lump that had gathered in her throat, glaring at Gohan with annoyance. She didn't like being poked fun at and did not appreciate his joking nature!

"It hasn't been long since this thing came out of its shell," Trunks mumbled.

The hairs on Hairiyu's neck began to stand on end. "W-W-What? What did you say? You mean it's still around here?"

"... Level with me," Bulma was beginning to grow jittery, "You've got a bad feeling about this, right?"

Gohan and Trunks both nodded.

"We'd better get out of here!" Bulma decided quickly turning. "You guys are gonna be at Kame house right? I'll call you if anything happens! Hairiyu look after yourself and your brother!" With that she dashed off to her jet, picking up the egg shells on the way.

"... Is she ok?" Gohan asked.

"I can't blame her for wanting to leave so soon..." Hairiyu muttered under her breath.

"We'd better head back to Kame House," Trunks decided, a playful smirk appearing on his face. "Not much point in sticking around here... Besides I think Hairiyu'd rather leave here before the bug finds her and gets her!"

Hairiyu glared at Trunks, "D-Don't joke about that!" She fumed embarrassed.

-

It didn't take the trio too long to head back to the small island in the middle of the ocean, though there was news waiting for them upon their return.

"We're back," Gohan announced as he opened the door, "Hello Master Roshi."

He didn't wander in very far; from what Hairiyu could see everyone's attention was on the television, no one had even turned around to acknowledge their return! Either they hadn't heard Gohan or they were being rude and ignoring them! Fortunately it was neither reason as Krillin soon acknowledged them.

"You guys, come listen to this news story," he ordered turning away from the screen. "Tell us what's going on."

"News story?" Gohan echoed curiously.

Hairiyu walked past Gohan and settled down on the floor, eyes glued to the screen. There was a news reporter standing in what looked like a big town or city; clothes strewn all across the ground, which sent alarmbells ringing in the girl's mind.

A scream alongside the sound of gunshots in the background caught the news reporter's attention and he turned, "Gunshots, we're near gunshots!" He cried. "Members of the investigative team and the police must be shooting at something!" he began to commentate over the noise which quickly died down. "... What's going on? Everything's gone quiet... We'll see if we can get a closer look and see what's happening..."

As he turned back around to the camera his face went white.

Then the screen suddenly went on the frizz.

"W-What just happened?" Yamcha gasped. "Quickly, turn to another channel!"

The channel was changed. The screen showed a funny angle; the camera was clearly on the ground as what appeared to be the ground was almost up the wrong end of the screen. Not too far from the camera screams could be heard.

They soon stopped.

"... It stopped," Krillin mumbled grimly.

Hairiyu felt disturbed watching this. Something terrible had just happened in that town...

"...So what's going on here?" Krillin turned to Trunks. "Bulma said you guys found something along with the other time machine and to ask you guys about it. She was the one who also told us about the news report, said she'd picked up on it on her way back home."

As Trunks and Gohan explained to the others what they'd found, Hairiyu kept her eyes peeled to the television screen, hoping maybe she might be able to catch a glimpse of whatever it was that caused this. Unfortunately all the television stations kept on cutting back to their studios!

"... We are still unable to contact our correspondents! We may have to assume the worst..." One reporter announced.

"So this is the thing that came out of that skin?" Krillin asked.

"I think so," Trunks nodded, "It was around the same area."

"It's horrible... What's going on out there?" Master Roshi mumbled.

"... I'm gonna go check it out," Trunks decided.

"Wha-?" Hairiyu stumbled to her feet, "Trunks, don't!"

"Don't leave," Krillin stood.

Trunks smiled at the group, "Don't worry about me. I can become a Super Saiyan, remember? It's the androids I need to be careful of."

"I'll go too!" Gohan decided.

"G-GOHAN!" Chichi bellowed horrified, "You're not going!"

"Stay here Gohan," Trunks replied. "I'll be fine by myself. You guys stay here and protect Goku in case the androids come."

_'Like we'll last long against them...'_ Hairiyu grumbled to herself.

"I'm off," Trunks walked out the door onto the sandy shores, Hairiyu anxiously watched half wanting to go too but half wanting to go to sleep! All this flying and fighting she'd done today had begun to get to her and she needed to rest. Reluctantly she kept quiet not wanting to boss her brother around. In any case he was pretty strong in his own right so as long as he didn't bump into the androids...

From out of nowhere a powerful and bizarre ki suddenly skyrocketed, almost bulldozing its way into her head! Hairiyu was stunned; this didn't make any sense!

Changing her direction from the stairs to the front door, she dashed outside the house along with everyone else who could sense it, glancing out to sea. It was the strangest energy she'd ever sensed, so many different characteristics attached to it which made it all the more confusing and difficult to identify.

"What is this?" Krillin spluttered. "I've sensed this ki before!"

"It's Freeza... and his father!" Gohan cried.

"... Goku... Piccolo... Even my dad!" Trunks added.

"I feel it too," Yamcha agreed. "This is impossible! Freeza and his father are dead!"

Gohan flew up to the window looking into the room his father lay in. "... Dad's still in bed!" He exclaimed.

"It's coming from Ginger Town," Krillin gulped. "That's where those news reports were!"

"I'm going to check this out, I have to know if this is what came from that shell!" Trunks cried, taking to the sky.

"Wait up! I'm going too!" Krillin cried tearing off after him.

No one else dared to follow.

Hairiyu clenched her fists by her side, a bewildered look on her face. She had no idea what was going on anymore! _'I don't get this at all...'_

Tired and in need of a rest she soon wandered up the stairs of the small house and entered the room Goku was in, stifling a yawn as best she could. She could still sense the bizarre power level that seemed to have essences of almost every fighter she knew, yet her body was trying to deny her sensing the fight, crying out for some sleep. She wasn't sure how long she'd been awake for or what time it was now.

She looked over at the ill-stricken Goku and frowned. He still looked pale, although his breathing seemed better than before.

Once again she tried to stop a yawn but failed. Enough was enough; she grabbed a futon and blanket from the corner of the room and set it out before tucking herself in. Whether she was wearing the same clothes or not didn't matter; she had no other clothes to change into! Hairiyu rolled onto her side and closed her eyes. It had been a long, long day.

-

When she awoke it was to the sounds of loud voices coming through the floorboards downstairs. It sounded like Master Roshi and Yamcha were having an energetic discussion about something or other, Hairiyu unable to make out their words. She slowly sat herself up and rubbed her eyes, a little annoyed she'd been woken up!

"Oh, you're awake!"

One blue eye opened and she realised Chichi was in the room beside her sleeping husband, rinsing a cloth into a small tub of water.

"How long have I been asleep for?" Hairiyu asked wiping a little more sleep from her eye and trying to flatten her bed-hair down.

"About three hours."

Hairiyu groaned almost silently; was that all the sleep she'd had? Part of her wanted to march downstairs and yell at the people who'd raised their voices and woken her! She resisted the urge, still feeling tired as she pushed herself from the covers and rose to her feet, stretching before letting her arms drop to the side. Chichi had gone back to nursing her husband, apparently wiping the damp cloth over his forehead in a bid to keep his fever down. Hairiyu watched for a couple of seconds before opening her mouth. "... So how is he doing?"

"He's getting better," Chichi smiled, "His fever's going down still but he's a lot calmer than he was before. I think the medicine's working."

Hairiyu breathed a sigh of relief; at least they still had Goku with them. He always seemed to be able to make a difference so it was a relief he was getting better from his illness!

Without another word she wandered out of the room and to the bathroom, running the tap and splashing water over her face in a bid to feel more awake and alert.

Heading down the stairs, Hairiyu could now hear what Master Roshi and Yamcha were both saying and could see them through the entrance at the bottom of the stairs. Both looked worried.

"What's all the yelling about?" She asked as socks touched the wooden planks.

Both men turned to face her for a moment, neither saying anything.

"What?" Hairiyu raised an eyebrow confused.

Apparently she'd missed a lot of vital information as she'd slept! Gohan filled her in on the details; about how the new power had started to fight with another gigantic power – who they believed to be Piccolo. The fight had suddenly stopped and no one could figure out why – both powers had seemed to have vanished! From what she could sense right now, nothing drastic was going on...

She continued to stay inside watching the television for any more broadcasts; Gohan had chosen to train outside and she could just about hear his roars as he shadow-boxed. She would have joined him if she'd been able to sleep more; she just didn't feel energetic right now!

Almost a whole day went by with news report after news report telling of sightings of the monster and the latest areas he'd come to. People were dying vanishing completely from existence and the reporters were clueless as to what was going on. It frustrated her; she had no idea what was happening out there! Her brother and Krillin hadn't returned yet – no one had returned to bring them to speed!

Finally Krillin, Piccolo - or the Namekian they assumed to be Piccolo - and Tenshinhan showed up.

"What happened?" Yamcha cried as they sat down. "We sensed the fight – it suddenly stopped!"

"Was that power really yours, Piccolo?" Gohan asked.

Piccolo quickly filled them in on what had gone on up to this point, Hairiyu listening intently. There was a lot to take in and she couldn't hide her surprise at the origins of this monster – cells from Goku, her father, Freeza and his dad; all the strong fighters who'd come to Earth... They all combined to form this monster which'd been created by Dr. Gero.

She was fast growing spiteful and irritated with this now-dead doctor and his obsessive goal.

The monster's name was Cell... and he was absorbing people's life energy, killing them in the process.

She felt disgusted hearing it!

"... So he can sense us whenever we approach him," Tenshinhan was saying, "It's impossible! Every time we got near to him, he runs and hides his energy!"

"At this rate he'll kill thousands more people," Krillin growled bleakly.

"That's awful... We've got to find him!" Gohan protested.

"But how?" Krillin asked. "We can't catch him; if we fly he'll sense us and flee but if we don't fly fast enough and conserve our energy, we won't make it in time!"

"Wait!" Yamcha gasped. "I think I may know how we can catch him!"

-

The jets of the large plane roared into life as it took to the sky, slowly moving forwards across the ocean. On board the group of fighters were deep in conversation.

"If we approach him in the plane and keep our energy levels down, he shouldn't be able to sense us!" Yamcha smiled.

"Good thinking," Krillin nodded. "I can't wait to find him now! Plus we're all together – we can all gang up on him!"

"Yeah, there's no way he can stand up to all of us at the same time!" Gohan spoke cheerfully. "All we have to do is all jump out of the plane and attack at the same time – he won't know what hit him!"

"You're wrong!" Piccolo snapped bringing the confident vibe inside the ship to a stop. "Cell will probably expect us to do something like that! He's smarter than that! Don't underestimate him!"

A small silence fell over the group.

"... Krillin, did you say Trunks has gone to find my dad?" Hairiyu asked.

"Yeah," Krillin answered, "Your dad said something about ascending above a Super Saiyan... Trunks wanted to train with him, as unlikely as it sounds! I told him it would be a miracle if Vegeta actually said yes but he felt it was something he had to do!"

Hairiyu looked down at the floor before her, slumped against the wall of the plane. "So he's gonna try and become stronger... Dad won't train him though; I asked him once and he said I was a weakling and he had no time for weaklings..."

"... Harsh, but it sounds like your dad..." Krillin looked a little uncomfortable saying what he did!

"I don't get it; you're not a weakling," Gohan mumbled.

Hairiyu tried to smile genuinely but it came out as more of a woeful smile, "Thanks Gohan but let's be honest here... I'm probably one of the weakest people here in this plane..."

"No, that can't be right!" Gohan was persistent. "You trained under Piccolo and my dad – there's no way you're weak! Plus you managed to get a couple of shots in against the androids, right?"

"I wasn't strong enough to stop them," Hairiyu pouted. "... It's not good enough if you can't defeat them! Piccolo's the only one who right now could probably take them down, right Piccolo?"

"... Maybe..." Piccolo muttered, "Hard to tell... Regardless, we need to track down Cell before he can absorb the androids and achieve his ultimate form! We have to find him and stop him!"


	56. Chapter 055

**Chapter 055 - Piccolo's Last Ditch Effort **

Another couple of days had passed since the search had begun and still no luck. The group continued to track Cell down via listening to the radio broadcasts and learning of his latest locations. It was always the same story. No matter where they were led to, they would always arrive too late to save anyone... and too late to find Cell...

"Why have we still not found him?" Hairiyu cried frustrated laying onto her back, fists clenched and brow crossed. "This is annoying... I wish for once we'd actually be able to see him as he runs away like the coward he is! Why's he picking on innocent, defenceless people anyway?"

"... You're tired, aren't you?" Gohan asked with a nervous smile. "It's frustrating but we're doing all we can..."

"He's just too fast for us to catch! It's like he's always one step ahead of us..." Tenshinhan muttered.

"Feels more like five steps to me!" Krillin joked.

"At this rate he's probably killed thousands upon thousands of victims!" Piccolo growled sounding almost as agitated as Hairiyu. "Damn that monster!"

A small silence fell upon the ship save the hum of its working engines.

"... I wish Goku was here..." Krillin sighed after a moment. "He'd know what to do! We could all just wait until we next sense Cell and he could use his Instant Transmission technique to get us there! Cell wouldn't know what hit him!"

Hairiyu glanced over and was just about to speak when Goku suddenly appeared standing right behind Krillin! Startled she hurriedly sat up and span around, shocked to see him! He looked just as well as ever!

"D-Dad...?" Gohan gawked flabbergasted.

"Yep... It sure would be great if he was here..." Krillin droned oblivious to his best friend being present.

"K-Krillin! It's dad – he's better and he's here!"

"Huh? Goku?" Krillin turned around to see Goku standing before him.

"Hi," Goku waved with a smile.

Though Hairiyu could not see the expression on Krillin's face she was sure he was smiling and probably close to tears. "... GOKU!" The short fighter charged forwards and grabbed the Saiyan with a tight hug! "You're really better?"

"Yup, hungry though!" Goku nodded.

Hairiyu rose to her feet, an overwhelming feeling of joy coming over her. She couldn't describe in words just how happy and relieved she was to see Goku fit and well!

"Goku you nut!" Krillin was beginning to well up.

The Saiyan turned to his son, seemingly surprised to see tears in his eyes. "Hey, why the long face kiddo?" He asked softly, gently placing one hand on his son's head and lightly ruffling his hair. After a few moments Gohan smiled and wiped his tears away.

"I missed you daddy!"

Goku turned away and over to Piccolo, seemingly thinking of something. "... Kamiccolo!"

Hairiyu couldn't help but burst out laughing at the absurd name Goku'd come out with! Gohan and Krillin had apparently also found it funny though both attempted to hide their amusement far better than Hairiyu did!

"Don't merge the names too!" Piccolo growled. "I'm still mostly Piccolo anyway..."

"Alright, then Piccolo..." Goku's light smile faded and was replaced by a stern look, "...I don't think I can beat the androids or Cell the way I am now. I'm gonna go train and get a whole lot stronger and you and I both know of a place where I can train for a whole year in one day..."

_'How does Goku know about Cell?'_ Hairiyu wondered.  
"... So you wanna go back to the Room of Spirit and Time; the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?" Piccolo asked. "... You know no one has ever lasted a whole year in there. You could barely stand a month the last time you went in there."

"I know," Goku smiled, "I wanna take Vegeta and Trunks there too, I get the feeling they'll be able to handle it!"

Hairiyu was beginning to grow curious over this room; what was so unbearable about it?

"Then hurry," Piccolo warned, "Cell grows stronger every day! He's killing many people and taking their energy!"

"Yeah," Goku frowned briefly.

Hairiyu frowned and glared at the floor below her; she hadn't even met this monster and yet she felt so much hatred towards him! It had been their responsibility to stop him yet she hadn't even had so much as a glimpse of him yet!

"Gohan, Hairiyu, let's go!"

Hairiyu's head shot up in surprise, as had Gohan's.

"Take my hand," Goku instructed holding out one of his hands.

Gohan grabbed onto his father's outstretched hand, exchanging a quick and confused glance with Hairiyu. Unsure of what was going on Hairiyu took Gohan's free hand and waited as Goku placed his fingers to his forehead.

"Hey, before you leave," Krillin quickly spoke. "This thing's stronger than Freeza, Goku. Are you scared or excited?"

"Both," Goku answered.

The world suddenly warped around them instantly changing to a very different, dusty barren wasteland. The change had happened so fast Hairiyu barely had time to process it; she'd half expected her stomach to have churned with the rapid movement but apparently not even that had realised what was going on!

"G-Goku?"

Trunks sat just in front of them perched on the side of a steep cliff; he looked pretty shocked to see them and who could blame him?

"How's the training going?" Goku asked with apparent interest.

"Not too well" Trunks frowned clearly not as upbeat as Goku, "My father just tells me to get lost every time I go near him. He looks at me as if I'm just a mistake."

"Where are we?" Gohan asked Hairiyu quietly.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing!" Hairiyu replied clueless.

"He's just stood there for the past few days like a statue!" Trunks continued. "He hasn't moved at all!"

Goku smiled as he glanced over to the shorter Saiyan who stood a little ways ahead of them on the edge of a small protrusion. "...Vegeta's a genius. Looks like he's starting to see beyond a Super Saiyan... I'll go talk to him," with that he rose and floated over towards Vegeta.

"So how's the search been going?" Trunks asked leaving the two Saiyans to talk.

"Not so good," Gohan frowned disheartened. "Cell keeps on attacking towns and absorbing people's energy and every time we get near him, he hides and moves onto the next town!"

"It was taking forever to find him," Hairiyu added giving her brother a sypmathetic smile. "... So dad turned you down too, huh? I know how you feel; he makes you feel pretty useless. Don't take it personally, he's just like that."

"Well Krillin did warn me he'd be hard to convince," Trunks chuckled lightly. "He hasn't put me off; I'm still here whether he likes it or not."

"I wonder what this room's supposed to be like..." Gohan mumbled.

"Room?" Trunks repeated confused.

"Yeah, Goku said about us all training in this room at Kami's place," Hairiyu explained. "He hasn't really said much about it. Piccolo kinda made it sound scary though."

"I'm not sure if training's a good idea, especially with Cell on the loose and the androids still around," Gohan spoke, "... but dad said something about being able to train for a whole year in just a day!"

"Wow... Is that even possible?" Trunks mused. "I guess we'll have to wait and see what Goku's got in stall for us."

Goku and Vegeta were heading towards them, quickly reaching the trio of demi-Saiyans.

"Alright guys, grab onto me and I'll teleport us to Kami's place," Goku instructed.

Hairiyu held onto Trunks with one hand and turned, about to grab her father's hand when she noticed the glare he sent her. Quickly she stopped her hand before grabbing to the scruff of his glove instead.

Once again the whole world shot underneath her feet and before she could even begin to register they'd moved, a new building appeared before her. This one was a lot different from what she was used to seeing and looked pretty drafty to say the least! It was old but elegant; white pillars stretched across its length holding the building together; all she could liken it to was some sort of temple. Before the main entrance stood a row of palm trees which lined either side of the entrance. It looked very tranquil. They clearly were not on the ground; Hairiyu could see the edges of the tiled flooring below her fall away to the sky which made her all the more confused as to how there were trees growing so high up! The air was calm unlike what she'd been expecting.

She didn't notice her father snatch himself free from his grip, her attention focusing on her new surroundings. She'd never come to Kami's lookout before and it was nothing like she'd imagined it would be.

A strange, dark man appeared almost running towards them. "Goku, what a relief it is to see you looking well!"

Hairiyu realised who he was, recognising him as the man who'd shown them Kami's spaceship when they'd been trying to get to Namek, though she could not recall his name.

"Hey Mr Popo," Goku smiled walking towards the short man. "I'll cut to the chase. We're in a lot of trouble at the moment what with Cell and the androids running around and we need to get stronger in a hurry."

"So you want to use the Room of Spirit and Time?" Mr Popo asked. "... Alright, follow me."

Hairiyu followed as the group were led into the large airy building, looking around with interest at the different rooms and architect of the place. It certainly looked like it had been built long ago, yet still held an air of freshness to it.

"For those of you who don't know, the Room of Spirit and Time is a room which is placed in a different dimension to our world. In that dimension one year is equal to just one day in our world. You will be cut off from our world as soon as the door is closed and will join us when the door opens. It's set up for two people and comes with a bathroom with a tub, two beds, and enough food."

_'Wow... that's quite a feat!'_ Hairiyu mused impressed. _'One year inside really equals a day out here?'_

"I wish you all good luck in your training," Mr Popo smiled.

"... Kakarrot, why are you suggesting I do this too?" Vegeta asked as the group were led down some corridors. "My eventual goal is to kill you!"

"This is an enemy we can't beat alone," Goku replied, "You know that as well as I do."

A smug smirk appeared on the prince's face"... You may regret this..."

Hairiyu kept her eyes ahead of her noticing there was a door straight ahead of them. Was this the room Goku and Mr Popo had been talking about?

The group stopped, Mr Popo grabbing onto the handle and pulling it ajar. The door creaked slightly. Hairiyu couldn't quite see into it from where she stood.

"Here we are," Mr Popo announced, "Who will go in first?"

"Vegeta and Trunks," Goku answered.

Something wasn't quite adding up. Mr Popo had said only two people could go into the chamber and there were five of them... That left her as the odd one out! Surely Goku would take Gohan in once Vegeta and Trunks came out... or would he train by himself and let her and Gohan go in together? She wasn't sure but the maths didn't add up!

"Thanks for letting us go in first, Goku," Trunks mumbled quietly as he passed them.

"T-Trunks, good luck," Hairiyu stammered. "Be careful in there!"

"Take care of Vegeta!" Goku smirked.

Hairiyu saw the quick glance her father shot at Goku before he and Trunks disappeared into the room, Mr Popo closing the door.

"I hope those two get along..." Gohan sighed.

"Goku, I think I'm missing something," Hairiyu spoke up anxiously. "Isn't this room supposed to be for two people at a time?"

"Yeah," Goku nodded. "I know what you're thinking and don't worry. The room may be set up for only two people, but it doesn't stop more than two people entering it. I was gonna ask..." He turned to Mr Popo, "it ok if I take both Gohan and Hairiyu in with me? We're short on time and these two both need a mentor."

"Well... the room is set up for two people..." Mr Popo pondered, making Hairiyu feel nervous. She couldn't tell what he was thinking!

"... It should be ok," Mr Popo nodded.

"Great!" Goku grinned. "That's a relief! It would be a bummer if you'd said no! These two have so much potential and all so I wanted to train them both!" He turned to his son and Hairiyu. "It might order a bit of a sacrifice I'm afraid. You two are gonna have to share a bed – You're both smaller than I am so it makes sense!" He added quickly, seeing the horrified reactions of both children!

"I have to share a bed?" Hairiyu cried. "Why? You guys are family – why don't you share a bed! I want my own bed, I don't wanna share it with either one of you!"

"Why do I have to share?" Gohan asked. "... I have no problem with it I guess... You don't kick do you?"

"... Are you really that naive?" Hairiyu muttered annoyed. She may have only have been ten years old but she was already self-conscious enough to know about the differences between boys and girls! Having to share with a boy - even if it was Gohan - was a big ask!

"I don't see the problem..." Goku scratched his head. "Look, I'm sorry but that's the way it's gonna work if I'm gonna train you both!"

-

Almost a day passed since Trunks and Vegeta had entered the mysterious room. Just as Goku and Mr Popo had mentioned any trace of their existance had completely vanished; Hairiyu couldn't sense either of their energy signals. She didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing...

The trio had stationed themselves not too far from the time chamber door waiting for Vegeta and Trunks to emerge. Hairiyu impatiently paced the floor for a while before stopping and beginning to spin on the spot slowly, arms held out by her sides in a bid to keep her balance. She was bored!

A ki suddenly shot up grabbing everyone's attention. Goku and Gohan hurriedly rushed to their feet, Hairiyu stopping her spinning and almost falling over her own feet!

"It's started!" Goku spoke, "Piccolo's fighting someone!"

"... Do you think it's Cell?" Gohan asked nervously.

"No, I can't feel his opponent's ki," Goku shook his head. "It must be the androids!"

A feeling of dread overcame Hairiyu, "... It's three against one! Can Piccolo take down all three of those androids?"

"No, they'll kill him!" Gohan cried making a sudden dash towards the halls.

"Gohan!" Goku barked, Gohan stopping immediately like a deer caught in headlights. "Stay here! You won't be any help to Piccolo! None of us are in the same league – we'll only get in the way!"

Hairiyu clenched her fists and glared cross at her friend. She knew how he felt and wanted desperately to help Piccolo, yet past experience of fighting the androids before just made it obvious to her she'd be of no help to her mentor. There was nothing right now that anyone else could do – Piccolo was their strongest fighter as of now.

"Vegeta and Trunks will be coming out soon," Goku explained a little calmer than before. "They'll be way stronger than before! It'll be ok... Give Piccolo some credit; he's an incredible fighter now!"

Gohan's head and shoulders sunk slightly and he slowly turned back to them, "... Right..."

Hairiyu looked towards the door of the Room of Spirit and Time, sceptical about her father and Trunks' strengths when they would eventually emerge. She hoped Goku was right in his thinking. _'... Dad, Trunks – hurry up and get out of the time chamber stronger than ever!'_

The fight dwelled on, Piccolo's ki slowly decreasing. Powerful attacks were dealt on his end and Hairiyu couldn't hide her shock over the magnitude of ki she was feeling. It made her proud and excited to say he was her mentor. It was hard to say who was winning since they could not sense the androids but Piccolo's ki was falling steadily; surely that wasn't such a bad thing. At least if he was taking damage he wasn't being hurt too badly.

Then things began to turn for the worst.

Another ki was approaching them; one she recognised. Cell had spotted them.

"He's getting closer!" Gohan grumbled. "Cell's on the move!"

"I know..." Goku nodded, sitting with his legs crossed and arms folded.

"... Piccolo can't take on the androids and Cell at the same time!" Hairiyu's fists were trembling in front of her; this was the worst scenario she could think of for Piccolo to be in! "... I hate this! Why aren't my dad and brother out yet?" Her sharp gaze settled on the door. "I wish... I wish there was something we could do to help! I wish I could just go down to Earth and actually be able to help Piccolo!"

"You wouldn't stand a chance!" Goku raised his voice. "Stay here and wait to get into the Room of Spirit and Time – only then can you grow stronger and help make a difference! This is Piccolo's fight right now!"

Hairiyu turned to face the seasoned fighter, "... I know I'd just get myself killed if I went down there right now... I hate it!"

"Cell's there!" Gohan gasped.

The fight continued more tense than ever, yet now Hairiyu could sense Piccolo was fighting with Cell trading blows with the diabolical monster. The monstrous android was too much for him; Piccolo's ki continued to take a savage beating.

_'Come on Piccolo!'_ She gritted her teeth frustrated. It was getting too much for her to deal with, Piccolo's amazing new powers had not been enough to defeat the androids before and now he was losing to the monster who'd killed thousands of innocent humans.

In one sudden attack it completely vanished. Piccolo's ki had gone. The lump in her throat almost threatened to choke her. She refused to believe it!

"... His ki's gone... It's too late!" Goku growled through clenched teeth.

"PICCOLO!" Hairiyu screamed. She felt her emotions getting to her again, her hatred for Cell and her feelings for Piccolo mixed and clashed into a messed-up feeling of urgency. She couldn't stop the tears welling up in her eyes, she wanted to just rush to the fight and give Cell everything she had! No more, this couldn't keep on going anymore!

"NO! PICCOLO!"

Gohan had suddenly made a dash for the entrance to the palace again. This time Goku'd rushed after him, grabbing his son in a lock.

"PICCOLO! PICCOLO!" Gohan cried, struggling to break free from his father's grip. "LET ME GO!"

"YOU WOULDN'T STAND A CHANCE!" Goku bellowed over his son's screams.

"I'M GOING!" Gohan yelled, suddenly breaking free and making a dash for it.

In a flash the boy was struck down to the ground, Goku's fist had struck him down.

"Gohan!" The sudden strike had caught Hairiyu by surprise; she rushed over to help him up.

Gohan seemed quite shocked himself holding his cheek with a baffled but hurt look on his face. "... Dad?"

"You would have been killed, son!" Goku spoke, his back turned to the two children.

"... He's right you know," Hairiyu frowned. "Piccolo wouldn't want us to jump in and get ourselves killed."

"But this is crazy! We're just sitting around watching Piccolo get killed! We're letting Cell absorb the androids!" Gohan replied agitated.

"Until Vegeta and Trunks appear, there's nothing any of us can do," Goku answered. "We have to put our faith in chance; with luck something will happen, something that will stop Cell long enough!"

Hairiyu frowned. It felt so weak and powerless to have to rely on chance... Was this how desperate things were becoming?


	57. Chapter 056

**Chapter 056 - Enter the Time Chamber**

The atmosphere on the lookout was tense and hostile. The apparent loss of Piccolo's life and the small scuffle that had resulted from it was the reasoning for the uncomfortable atmosphere. Goku, Gohan, Hairiyu and Mr Popo patiently waited by the door of the Room of Spirit and Time anxxiously waiting for Vegeta and Trunks to complete their training. There was far too much at stake on Earth right now, especially since Cell and the androids were now apparently in the same place. Those who could sense energy were busy focusing on the fight below them unable to fully determine what was going on.

Things had now changed down on Earth. From what could be sensed of Cell's noticeable energy, he was fighting an unknown opponent. None of his remaining opponents could be sensed so it was difficult to establish which one he was fighting.

"... Is he fighting the androids now?" Hairiyu asked Goku. "I can't sense any other ki?"

"He must be," Goku nodded. "... They seem to be doing well; Cell's taking damage!" The tall fighter rose from his sitting position on the floor and began to walk slightly down the hall before stopping.

Hairiyu returned to quietly sitting and watching the fight via sensing Cell's ki. The battle seemed to go on for quite some time and whoever was fighting Cell seemed to be putting up a decent fight. Hairiyu began to wonder which of the androids it was fighting; had all three ganged up on him or was it just one fighting alone? Although she still saw the androids as enemies, she hoped they would win against Cell. They didn't seem as dangerous as Cell did, especially since Cell needed to absorb them to become stronger. His power already terrified her; what made him think he needed to become stronger? Not even Piccolo had stood a chance against him now he'd absorbed so many innocent humans.

Once again things drastically changed for the worst.

Cell's ki skyrocketed. Hairiyu couldn't believe the dramatic increase in power she felt! It could only mean one thing!

"Cell must have absorbed one of the androids!" Goku realised.

Cell's power was now a lot greater than Piccolo's energy had been; far greater than his own energy had just been! Piccolo had been able to hold his own against the androids. If Cell was stronger than Piccolo he'd now be stronger than the androids... Hairiyu dreaded to think what was about to happen!

Then Tenshinhan's ki suddenly appeared. His energy and stamina seemed to continue jumping down as if he were attacking! Cell's energy fluctuated every time Tenshinhan attacked, though its movement was nothing compared to the level Tenshinhan's was falling. The three-eyed fighter must have stepped in to replace the androids. Hairiyu felt a wave of dread hit her alongside another wave of respect. The Earthling's power was far weaker than Cell's after all yet this didn't stop him confronting the monster.

"Tenshinhan!" Goku gasped. "He's using the Kikoho! He knows if he keeps using it, it'll kill him!"

Hairiyu continued to sense the fight anxiously, Tenshinhan's energy falling rapidly, quickly coming to a dangerous dwindle. Then it stopped, barely still detectable. Cell's power was still so high.

This was bad. Tenshinhan's energy was dangerously close to vanishing just as Piccolo's had and Cell was still so strong! There was little doubt in her mind they were about to sense a second death. "He's gonna be killed!" Hairiyu cried. "Tenshinhan's gonna get killed!"

A blur beside her caught her eye; it was there only for a second but it was enough to make her turn curiously towards it. Goku'd vanished.

"... Dad's gone." Gohan mumbled. "Hey, do you think he's gone to Tenshinhan and the androids?"

"I hope so," Hairiyu nodded.

A couple of minutes passed before Goku reappeared. To both Gohan and Hairiyu's surprise Tenshinhan wasn't the only one he'd brought back – Piccolo was here too! Both fighters looked exhausted as they were each fed a senzu bean. Thankfully Korin had grown plenty in preperation of the battle against the androids, something which so far had allowed the majority of the fighters (minus Gohan and Krillin who had yet to enter a battle) to survive where before they would have perished.

Quickly the two warriors were as good as new and back on their feet. Both children were relieved to see them well, especially since they'd all believed Piccolo had been killed!  
Piccolo brought the others up to speed, talking about his fight with the androids and Cell's newfound powers. Tenshinhan then intervened and filled them in on the battle post-Piccolo's supposed death. Their worst fears were quickly realised. It was true, Cell had managed to absorb Seventeen. Android Sixteen had stepped in to fight but had been powerless to stop Cell in his new form. Tenshinhan had then jumped in to distract the monster whilst Sixteen and Eighteen fled. With luck it had given the androids enough time to escape Cell's line of vision and the monster would not find them.

Things weren't looking good at all. Hairiyu was shocked at the magnitude of Cell's power; only a couple of days ago she'd fought and been badly beaten by the androids. Cell was far stronger than even them! She felt so insignificant...

"... Cell's power continues to grow; it's unnatural." Piccolo muttered. "At this rate, no one can beat him... Of course that's just my opinion."

"I'm just glad you and Tenshinhan are still with us," Gohan smiled. "We'll find a way to beat him!"

Hairiyu snorted and rolled her eyes; she wished she could share in Gohan's optimism! Nothing seemed certain anymore. Cell's power was too unpredicatable, who knew how strong he'd become if he managed to find and absorb the other android! She wondered if and when her father and brother came out, how they would compare to the newly transformed Cell...

"Hey! Vegeta and Trunks are coming out from the Time Chamber!" Mr Popo called running towards the group.

"Finally!" Goku sighed heavily.

The group of fighters made their way back to the door of the chamber. Indeed Trunks and Vegeta were emerging from the room both sporting tears and rips in their armour but both looking stronger.

Hairiyu eyed the two men up studying their ki. She couldn't be too sure but it felt like there was a small but noticeable difference; both were at resting rate currently so she couldn't be too sure. What struck her more than anything was Trunks' appearance – his hair had grown so much longer and he looked taller. The expression on his face was different, he looked solemn and intense and a lot like their father. She began to wonder what kind of effects the room had had on him...

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Trunks apologised.

"You sure took a while!" Goku smiled. "Did it work out alright?"

"Yeah," Trunks nodded. "Dad broke the Super Saiyan wall in the first two months and we probably could have come out a lot sooner. He still wasn't satisfied with his own power so-"

"Trunks!" Vegeta barked. "That's enough..."

Trunks quickly quietened down and said nothing more.

"... Well you both look a lot stronger to me," Hairiyu smiled at her brother.

"So the training worked then, Vegeta?" Goku asked with a smirk as he addressed his Saiyan rival.

"Who knows...?" Her father replied coolly. "It would be pointless of you to enter the room now and train inside because I'm going to finish off Cell and the androids!"

There it was. Her father's usual confidence hadn't been changed at all by the room. Although usually it would annoy her to hear him make such wild comments with no proof, Hairiyu felt relieved to hear her father's overconfident words, feeling a little comforted and safe-guarded. Things were desperate as it was right now and who knew, maybe he had the power to back it up? No, she hoped he had the power to back it up.

"I just got a look at Cell; he's already managed to absorb Android Seventeen," Goku explained. "He's a monster right now. The only way you would stand a chance is if you managed to raise your power to about three times higher..."

Goku was cut off by a chortle from Vegeta.

So he really was that confident?

Before any of the others could speak, a loud voice called off from somewhere outside the building. "Hello, is anyone here?"

"Mama!" Hairiyu cried. "That's mama's voice!" She rushed down the corridors as fast as she could, leaping out the entrance straight for her mother who indeed stood before one of her aircraft.

"Oh, so Krillin was right!" Bulma smiled as she was hugged by her daughter. "He said Goku'd brought you here!"

"I'm so glad to see you!" Hairiyu grinned, face dropping a little, "...oh? You brought Trunks with you? Did he behave himself? Trunks, were you a good boy in the plane?" She cooed, reaching up to her gurgling brother who grabbed her finger.

"He behaved himself as always," Bulma answered stroking her daughter's fringe from her eyes. "You're feeling ok, aren't you?"

"I'm fine," Hairiyu nodded.

"Bulma, what are you doing here?" Goku and the others had now appeared.

"Oh, there you are!" Bulma smiled, walking forwards a little to the group, Hairiyu alongside her. It had been a couple of days since she'd seen her mother after all.

"Oh!" Bulma gasped, suddenly picking up the pace and running straight to Trunks. "Trunks, is that really you?"

"Y-Yeah," Trunks answered a little nervous.

"What happened to your hair? Is this a wig? You've grown too!"

Hairiyu giggled to herself, _'poor Trunks!'_

"There's a room here where you can train for a year in the span of one day outside," Trunks explained. "Dad and I trained in there!"

Bulma craned her head around her son and spotted Vegeta. "... But Vegeta's hair didn't grow..."

"For your information a pure blooded Saiyan's hair does not grow from the day he's born!" Vegeta answered.

_'So that's why his hair's never grown...'_ Hairiyu noted to herself. _'Weird!'_

"That explains why I've never needed a hair-cut!" Goku mused.

"Why are we talking about hair?" Vegeta spat in annoyance. "Bulma, why did you come here?"

"For your information, I came here to give you all something!" Bulma answered apparently choosing to ignore the Saiyan's apparent frustration, "They're custom-made Saiyan battle suits, just like the one Vegeta wears. I brought enough for all of you... and maybe Vegeta, if you stop acting like a wiener, you'll get one too!" She reached into her pocket and chucked a capsule out. With a small bang the capsule turned out to be a large case with several smaller compartments. Once they were all opened they indeed held inside them the different parts of the battle suit identical to her father's.

Heeding her mother's suggestion Hairiyu joined the others and began to get changed, slipping into the suit her mother had made for them.

"Wow, these things are lighter than they look!" Goku mumbled examining the chest armour.

"I wore something like this on Namek!" Gohan added.

"...Aren't you going to wear them too?" Bulma asked. Hairiyu turned and realised she was talking to Piccolo and Tenshinhan; neither had made a move to get changed.

"How can I wear the same clothes and Freeza and the Saiyans?" Piccolo snorted.

"I'm not going to wear the same clothes as Vegeta after all that he's done," Tenshinhan snarled.

"Aww come on guys, they're just clothes!" Goku smiled. "They're really easy to move in!"

"As I said Kakarrot..." Vegeta muttered as he slipped his hand through one of his gloves, "... Those clothes will just be wasted on you! You won't be seeing any action!"

"Why, because you're going to stop Cell, right?" Goku replied. "I wouldn't complain... By the way, it ok with you that I'm taking Hairiyu into the Room of Spirit and Time?"

"Be my guest, I have no interest... but if you're trying to turn her into a Super Saiyan, it won't work!" Vegeta answered. "Do as you please, you won't be fighting Cell after all."

Hairiyu frowned and looked down disheartened. So she wouldn't be able to become a Super Saiyan; was that what he was saying? That made her feel she had a gigantic disadvantage compared to the others, not that she didn't already feel insignificant compared to everyone else.

Vegeta smirked and turned away. "We're leaving."

"Want me to get you there with my Instant Transmission?" Goku offered.

"No thanks, I don't need your help!"

With that Vegeta leapt over the edge of the lookout and shot off towards the ground.

"... He has such an ego!" Bulma muttered shaking her head a little.

Hairiyu agreed but she couldn't deny she felt relieved to see her father so confident. With luck, hopefully his training would have paid off.

"I guess I'd better head off too," Trunks stepped forwards.

"First, before you go..." Goku reached into his old clothes, taking out the small bag carrying the senzu beans. "Take one each, just in case!"

"Thanks," Trunks smiled taking the beans.

"Good luck – but don't push your luck!" Goku said with a confident smile. "If things get too tough, bail out!"

"I will," Trunks nodded, "Thanks for all your help and good luck in your training."

"Good luck Trunks!" Hairiyu smiled. "Make sure you take care of dad too!"

"Don't either you or Vegeta die," Bulma added.

"Right," Trunks nodded. "Oh... before I go," he stepped over to Hairiyu and put a hand on the confused girl's head. The smile on his face dropped slightly, though his brow did not drop alongside it. "Listen; you're capable of great things, alright? In my world you were able to become a Super Saiyan and were capable of incredible feats! Don't ever believe you aren't capable, ok sis?"

"... Ok," Hairiyu mumbled unsure. "I hope you and dad take Cell down, Trunks!"

"Yeah," Trunks' smiled returned. He stepped away and made a dash for the edge of the lookout, vanishing as he jumped down to Earth before taking off after his father.

"Ok Gohan, Hairiyu," Goku turned to the duo, "It's finally our turn!"

"Right," Gohan answered eagerly.

Hairiyu took in a deep breath; so this was it.

"... Before we go in, can we eat?" Goku asked sheepishly. "I'm starving!"

Mr Popo ended up cooking a meal for the small group, although it was Goku who seemed to be eating! Hairiyu couldn't find the time to put her food in her mouth, watching in awe as Goku shovelled down another bowlful! Beside him several tall piles of plates sat tediously balanced, joined by yet another! One by one more and more plates piled up until finally the Saiyan was apparently full.

"Aah! That was wonderful! Thanks for the food Mr Popo," Goku grinned, stretching his arms. "So are you guys ready to go?"

"... Yeah!" Gohan nodded, wolfing down his food as fast as he could. Hairiyu did the same and shovelled as much food in as she could. Although her appetite clearly wasn't as big as Goku's, she still surprised her family with how much she could eat in one sitting!

Eventually the trio wandered down the corridors towards the chamber door. Hairiyu noticed Tenshinhan and Bulma were also both here waiting for them; Bulma standing close to little Trunks who apparently was trying to climb up one of the pillars supporting the roof above their heads. When the blue-haired woman spotted them she picked Trunks up and rushed over. "So you're really going through with this, huh?"

"Yep," Goku nodded.

"Are you sure you're all going to be alright? I'm just worried about my daughter... and you!"

"Mama, it'll be ok," Hairiyu sighed. "You don't need to worry."

"I'll make sure nothing happens to her," Goku nodded.

"... Alright then, I trust your word Goku," Bulma stepped aside. "Good luck."

Mr Popo opened the door to the room; Hairiyu still unable to see inside properly because of how bright it was.

Goku and Gohan stepped forwards, Hairiyu following.

"Hairiyu, Gohan – you both become as strong as you possibly can! I love you Hairiyu and I'm proud of you!" Bulma called.

The door closed behind them.

Hairiyu felt all the different ki she'd been able to sense vanish as soon as the door closed, sensing only Goku and Gohan. Her eyes scanned her surroundings. They were in a white room; a table set out before them and what appeared to be beds set to one side (she'd never been in a bed with curtains hanging down around them and was a little eager to see what it was like to use them). A little beyond were a couple of archways leading to other rooms. Past the table which sat in the middle of the room were a couple of steps led to what she believed to be the outside world. Above them was some sort of large clock face with huge clock hands, both pointing towards the door.

The room made her body feel strange. The air was thick and hot in her throat, burning her slightly as she breathed in. Something felt like it was pushing down on her body but she couldn't work out what it was.

"It's so white in here!" Gohan exclaimed almost breathless. "My body feels heavy... and it's so hot it's hard to breathe!"

"Once you close the door everything outside is shut out," Goku explained.

"I wondered why we couldn't feel anyone's ki anymore..." Hairiyu mumbled.

"On the left are the tub and the bathroom... and behind the beds on the right is the pantry where we keep all the food. Go look outside; you'll see why I couldn't stand to be in here for more than a month when I was little."

"It's out there...?" Hairiyu asked quietly, curiously walking towards the outside before them alongside Gohan. She took a couple of steps out and gasped in horror. She couldn't believe it!

"T-There's nothing here!" She cried. "Just... Just white!"

"It's all so big!" Gohan added gobsmacked. "... I thought this was all inside a room! There's no end to it..."

"It's supposed to be as big as the Earth itself," Goku had joined them. "Make sure you don't wander out too far; you might get lost and end up dying!"

"D-Dying?" Hairiyu repeated horrified. "I thought you told my mama I'd be safe in here!"

"All I'm saying is stick close to the building," Goku replied calmly. "It gets pretty rough in here. The temperature can range from minus forty to one-hundred-and-twenty degrees. It's a blank world with only a quarter as much air and ten times the gravity on Earth."

"... We have to stay here for a whole year?" Gohan asked.

"Let's start training right away," Goku decided. "We're not here to mess around and relax after all; we're gonna turn you two into Super Saiyans!"

"S-Super Saiyans?" Hairiyu repeated. "Us?"

"Do you think we could do it, dad?" Gohan asked sounding more convinced than Hairiyu did.

"Sure you can; you both have Saiyan blood," Goku nodded. "Trunks was able to do it too so there should be no reason why you guys couldn't! It'll be necessary for you to be one so the real training can start."

"... So are we delaying your training?" Gohan asked worried.

"For a while you will but it won't matter," Goku answered. "Once you're Super Saiyans you'll both make great sparring partners! I'm going to reach the state beyond the Super Saiyan. I'm going to be more powerful than anyone... But I want you both to become more powerful than me!"

"What?" Hairiyu gawked. "More powerful than you? Are you serious?"

"That's right," Goku grinned. "I believe you can do it, the pair of you!"

"... I don't know..." Gohan mumbled unconvinced. Hairiyu agreed with him; Goku was putting too much pressure on them! Did he seriously believe they could become stronger than him? Just because Trunks, Piccolo and Vegeta had managed to do it didn't mean she and Gohan could!

"... Hey, why the long faces?" Goku asked apparently not sharing his pupil's anxiety.

"Well... In the future, Trunks said both I and Hairiyu become Super Saiyans but the androids still kill us anyway," Gohan pointed out.

"The future is already different from the one Trunks knew," Goku replied. "You can't always go by what he says anymore. I was supposed to kick the bucket but look, I'm still here. In Trunks' future, neither of you came into this room and trained here, did you?"

"Yeah, I guess that's true," Gohan realised.

"So let's stop worrying about things and get down to training," Goku decided. "Now both of you two, venture out into the white space just in front of us."

Gohan and Hairiyu did as they were instructed. As her foot left the last tile of the flooring and stepped out towards the white space, Hairiyu suddenly felt something pull her down and she fell to her arms and knees with a thud! Beside her Gohan had also jolted forward and crashed onto all fours, he sounded as if he'd just swam across the largest ocean in one go! Her own breathing was suddenly harsher and more urgent, her body beginning to sweat because she felt so hot. This sent alarm bells in her head. What was going on with her body? It felt so heavy and so difficult to breathe.

"Watch that first step, it's a doozie!" Goku added. "That's the gravity and air at its full effect. You're gonna need to get used to that fast!"

Hairiyu struggled to rise to her feet, noticing Gohan was doing the same. It was harder than it seemed and her muscles were straining as she adjusted her weight. Finally she managed to stand straight though quickly she was reduced to a small slouch. She couldn't believe what was about to happen. _'... I have to spend a year in this room... A year in a place like this?'_

It was going to be a struggle.


	58. Chapter 057

**Chapter 057 - The Path To Super Saiyan **

It had been a couple of months since they'd entered the room and it was an experience like neither of the two children had ever imagined. Both Gohan and Hairiyu had eventually gotten used to the extreme changes in temperature and adjusting to the lack of air and the intense gravity, though that did not mean they were immune to it, rather that they were accepting that on some days they'd feel they were burning alive whilst on others they'd be struggling to stay warm.

The fluctuation in temperature was far worse compared to that of the ten times normal gravity. It had occurred to Hairiyu this was almost the kind of training her father had undergone in that spaceship; her grandfather had installed a gravity machine which she knew her father had been using. Goku'd done the same when he was travelling to save them back on Namek. She felt she now understood the struggles her father went through during his training and in that sense had a deep respect for the amount of strain he and Goku were willing to put on themselves.

A couple of months had passed since the training had begun. No matter how hard they tried, neither had become a Super Saiyan yet much to their frustration. The longer it took them, the longer they'd be stopping Goku - probably the Earth's greatest chance of survival - from training seriously. It was daunting to know they were slowing him down. If he were to fail then would it ultimately be because of them? That was a thought neither child was willing to think about.

The sudden drop in temperature had gotten to Hairiyu and Goku'd made note of her struggles to maintain a constant body temperature. It was something he was not willing to ignore and knew all-too-well the dangers of the room and a body which was unable to cope so Hairiyu'd ended up having to spend a couple of days in bed recovering from a fever. She and Gohan seemed to be constantly getting them; whether it was due to their age or just back luck they did not know. Hairiyu'd become bedridden and spent most of the day attempting to sleep though it was often interrupted by a bout of overheating; she hated feeling like this! Although she'd usually be able to deal with a cold or a stomach bug with ease thanks to her Saiyan genes, this felt different. Even she was certain her body was straining over the large amount of demands this room made.

No wonder Goku couldn't stand it being in it for more than a month when he was younger.

A couple of days passed; she was getting better now but still wasn't out of the woods. Needing to get something to drink, Hairiyu'd crawled out of bed with her duvet wrapped around her still feeling a chill. As she made her way over to the pantry the ground began to shake at her feet though she wasn't particuarly alarmed; Goku and Gohan were sparring somewhere outside the small building and she could just about hear Gohan shouting. Curiosity got the better of her and she ignored her thirst, instead wandering out to watch the father and son train.

Goku hovered high above the young boy, in his Super Saiyan state. He drew his hands back. "Ka... Me... Ha... Me..."

Hairiyu gasped; his power was so high! No, it was too high! Was he really planning to fire that at Gohan? How was Gohan supposed to be able to stand up to such a magnitude of energy?

"HAAA!"

"GOHAN!" Hairiyu screamed as the Kamehameha shot down towards him.

Gohan didn't run. Instead he held out both hands and powered up, the Kamehameha striking him within a matter of seconds. Hairiyu couldn't quite see what was going on due to the brightness of the blue beam but she thought she could make out Gohan still standing, holding the beam at bay. The struggle continued for quite some time until finally with a scream, Gohan was consumed. Her heart lurched in her throat and almost cut off her breathing as blind panic swallowed her; he didn't stand a chance!

A twinge Gohan's power seemed to cause it to ignite and explode, suddenly becoming staggeringly high and baffling the confused onlooker. She peered through one eye to see the Kamehameha suddenly tossed back up into the sky, Goku narrowly dodging. Eyes fell back down to floor-level, widening.

She couldn't believe what she saw.

Gohan was glowing, a golden aura shimmering around him, his hair blonde and spiky and making an attempt to stand, though it was apparently too heavy to do so. Without much thought she rushed forwards, stumbling as the gravity hit her but regaining her balance. She had to confirm it!

Goku landed in front of his son, a smile on his face. "So, do you still think I'm too easy on you?"

Hairiyu glanced at Gohan, gulping and taking a nervous step back when she caught the look of pure anger and agitation etched across his face. The blonde hair and green-tinted eyes was more than enough to confirm it.

"Wow... You're a Super Saiyan! You did it Gohan!" She grinned ecstatically pleased for him. She couldn't begin to imagine the kinds of things he'd suffered attempting to transform. Goku'd constantly told them the transformation was triggered by a need to become stronger, not a desire. The small difference between those two words was incredibly frustrating to deal with.

"Gohan, you've got to calm down," Goku ordered calmly. "Try to focus your energy!"

For a moment it seemed to be working. Then suddenly the transformation was cancelled and Gohan stumbled to the floor panting heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead.

"... You ok?" Hairiyu asked concerned and uncertain.

Goku had also transformed down now and watched over his son. "I'm really proud of you, Gohan."

Gohan barely managed to raise his head, "... I'm so... sorry... It's just so hard..." He truly looked the image of exhaustion.

"Nah, it just takes a bit of practice. Let's take a break, ok?" Goku offered, taking a few steps forward and reaching down to his son's head. "... I think I'd better cut your hair; if it gets any longer I might lose you under there!"

-

Whilst Gohan was getting used to controlling his Super Saiyan form, Hairiyu was still trying to transform for the first time! A week passed and still no luck. The pressure was well and truly on now, Gohan's transformed and Goku was already starting to spar with his son; the speed of their serious training now rested on her success on transforming. Each failed attempt just slowed them down for longer and she despised it. She hated being the one to drag them both down and at times felt disheartened. Was her being trained really worth it?

Once again Hairiyu fell to her knees short of oxygen and muscles shaking. She'd been at it for over half of the day and still nothing! What was it she wasn't doing right?

"You were really close that time!" Goku said trying to encourage her. "Remember, the power comes to a need not a desire. You need to create that need!"

"It's just... so difficult..." Hairiyu huffed thoroughly short on breath. "... I'm just... slowing you down... What if... I really can't... do it...?"

"Hey, let's stop that talk right there; you can do it," Goku was quick off the mark. "You need to just find your trigger. Think of something awful; use the pain of loss!"

"... But I've been trying that this whole time!" Hairiyu answered frustrated. "Nothing's working! It may have worked for you and Gohan but it's not for me!"

"We just need to keep working at it," Goku replied studying her for a moment. "... So what's really bothering you?"

Hairiyu frowned, stuttering a little as she tried to find the right way to put it. "... It's just... well... dad said I couldn't become a Super Saiyan... so isn't it just a waste of time you training me to become something I can't?" She looked up at Goku looking a little defeated.

A strong hand was placed upon her shoulder as Goku looked down at the troubled girl.

"I want you to forget what Vegeta told you. Trunks said himself that in the future you managed to become a Super Saiyan, right? So what's gonna stop you from doing it here too? Don't worry; it will happen. You've just gotta believe you can do it."

She took in his words. It wasn't easy; she didn't feel as if she'd be able to achieve it... Yet that strange sensation she'd felt those last couple of times. It felt as if she could almost reach out and touch it yet something was stopping her. She had to find a way to get it... but how? How was she supposed to be able to achieve it?

-

"What was going through my mind?" Gohan repeated. He and Hairiyu were on a break from training in order to take a small snack break, both sat at the table watching Goku as he trained outside by himself.

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded. "I can't seem to get enough motivation to transform... but it feels like I'm really close to it, or at least I think I am!"

"Well..." Gohan thought back for a moment, "... I just thought of all those times where I've let people down and how I needed to get stronger so I don't lose all those I care about. Then it just happened... I had to fend off a Kamehameha from my father at the same time as all this so it wasn't easy!"

"Yeah, I remember seeing that," Hairiyu leaned her chin on the table, slouching in her seat. "... Maybe I could try that..."

"It might work," Gohan agreed. "Hey, maybe dad and I should come at you both as Super Saiyans! Maybe that might help trigger it off!"

Hairiyu's head bolted off the table and she stared wide-eyed at Gohan, "... I don't wanna die trying you know!" She spluttered.

"I had to make dad be tough on me; being soft won't help!" Gohan replied sternly. "How about I just come at you instead? I can control it now so it might help... Then again maybe dad's a better option. I'll go talk to him!"

"No, it's alright... I'll go find him," Hairiyu decided, rising off her chair and wandering towards the blank and vast white outside. "Thanks Gohan," she waved as she left.

"Good luck!" The boy replied, his curiosity making him stay seated.

Goku was up in the air shadowboxing. He quickly noticed Hairiyu and came down to meet her. "Hey, feeling any better now?" He asked.

"Yeah, a little," Hairiyu nodded. "Gohan gave me a few pointers and said maybe you ought to go all out on me."

"I had a feeling he'd say that," Goku chuckled. "Well, it worked for him so maybe it'll work for you after all!" He got into a fighting stance, "come at me whenever you're ready."

Hairiyu's nerves began to set in as she put up her defences but she pushed them away with her determination. She couldn't afford to slip up; Goku could be a deadly opponent when in the right mood and she knew she'd have to give this all she had.

With a yell Hairiyu charged towards Goku tossing her fist forwards, Goku dodging it and blocking off her next punch. The two began to rapidly move around the ground, Hairiyu on the attack and giving it all she had. This wasn't right; he was just blocking and dodging! Was he mocking her or just not taking it seriously enough? Hairiyu drew one fist back and tossed out a ki attack. Goku slapped it straight back at her; barely having enough time to blink let alone react, Hairiyu narrowly dodged by the skin of her teeth as it skimmed past her hair. The movement had taken Goku out of her visual field; when he reappeared she found herself open to Goku's oncoming kick. Reflexively she flipped backwards somehow stopping the kick with both her hands before springing back onto her feet, tapping the ground as she shot forwards again. Goku was ready for her and leapt over her as she closed in-

Her vision blanked for the briefest of moments as she belly-flopped to the ground, stuck down in the back by Goku's cupped fists. Her stomach was numb for a couple of seconds before finally pain struck almost crippling her as it radiated through her back and stomach. She attempted to stay focused as best she could, rolling to the side as Goku slammed his feet down into the floor inches from her, transforming into a Super Saiyan in the process. The shockwave caused by the transformation knocked Hairiyu across the ground a couple of extra rolls but she sprung back to her feet.

Goku's movement was far faster than before and it was all Hairiyu could do to dodge and block, her speed no match for Goku's. She was knocked backwards and sent crashing across the ground, suddenly rolling backwards onto her feet once again. She couldn't move fast enough as Goku kicked her up into the air drawing blood, Hairiyu shooting up before freefalling back to the floor, twisting through the air as she fell. Her jaw was almost numb from the attack and her balance was rapidly deteriorating.

With a heavy crash she struck the floor again.

Despite blurred vision, panging injuries and against her better judgement, she forced herself back to her feet, wiping her chin. Blood was falling from her lip judging by the dark red smear on her gloves.

Goku was suddenly in front of her; before she could react he'd forced her back through the air with a kiai. Hairiyu fell backwards once again. Her frustation at being constantly pushed back started to overpower her and give her much-needed strength; she stretched both hands out pushing herself upright against the ground. Flipping upright she once again made contact with the ground and pushed herself in the opposite direction back to her opponent. She once again charged in at Goku, teleporting her way towards him and swinging her leg out. It was effortlessly caught by Goku before she was once more tossed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Face-down once again. It was becoming a very repetitive and irritating situation but it was one she couldn't seem to stop from happening. By now her body was taking damage to the point it didn't respond so well. It wanted to give in but her mind screamed out for her to continue. She had to continue if she wanted to transform. There was no other way around it.

Shakily she tried to move her limbs and rise once more, her body aching from the damage she'd taken and loss of energy. Her ribs still stung and her back cried out as she shifted her body weight onto her hands and knees. _'C-Come on... Get up! You've gotta do better than this!'_ Determination overpowered her body's desire to stop and she finally rose to her feet. Her senses picked up Goku's ki; he was above her charging up a Kamehameha. Just as he had done before Gohan transformed. Was he planning to see if it'd work on her?

"Ka... Me..."

Hairiyu widened her stance and held her palms outstretched and forwards, starting to gather her own energy into her palms. Her nerves had once again kicked in but it was met by her willpower to not give in and once more (against her better judgement) she stood ready to recieve whatever it was Goku had in store for her.

"Ha... Me..."

The only hope she had of defending herself against Goku's powerful Kamehameha was for her to unleash her own attack. The Kentoka Flash was the best she had; there was no way around it. Sure she could dodge but that would not help, fleeing would not make her stronger. If being pitted against an attack that could easily have killed him worked for Gohan, surely she'd have just as much a chance?

_'So it's down to this, just like it was with Gohan... I've gotta do this!'_

"HAAAA!"

The blue jet of light shot straight down towards her. She'd only have a couple of seconds to make her own move count.

"KENTOKA FLASH!" Hairiyu screamed, firing off her own blue beam towards Goku's oncoming Kamehameha. The attacks collided and a beam struggle ensued. Hairiyu felt the pressure of the Kamehameha strike her own attack and struggled not to falter, her feet sliding back against the ground. She could tell she was very overpowered by the Kamehameha as the beam from above pushed her attack back. She clamped her eyes shut desperately trying to pull out all the energy she had against him whilst pushing herself to transform. She had to get stronger! She had to stay alive!

It was too much.

Her attack faltered and was obliterated by the Kamehameha. In the little seconds she had left Hairiyu jumped backwards to dodge as fast as she could.

The beam hit the floor and exploded with a deathening roar, Hairiyu knocked back uncontrollably by the shockwave of the explosion. She crashed onto her back heavily winding herself before she was engulfed in thick smoke. Her lungs choked with dust and dirt as the oxygen fluctuated; cuts and bruises adding to the confusion. It felt as if all of her insides as well as her outsides were stinging and in pain, she couldn't make heads or tails of her surroundings or the passage of time. For a moment she lay unsure of where she was, how she was or what was happening around her. Had she drifted into unconsciousness or was she still awake?

A sudden need to expel smoke from her lungs gripped her and she coughed, she was almost convinced she could feel clouds of smoke coming out from her mouth! Her balance swayed as something moved her.


	59. Chapter 058

**Chapter 058 - Overcoming Limits **

When Hairiyu became fully conscious of where she was, she found herself laying on her back upon one of the beds. Her vision was hazy at first though she could pick out the seperate shapes and shades; the whiteness of the room broken only by the pale purple curtains which had been pulled back. Her body ached and she could feel the injuries she'd aquired from her training. It'd been a while since she'd felt so worn down and tired. Quickly she recalled the events leading up to this present moment and remembered what had happened, a twinge of frustration towards herself growing. She opened her mouth and tried to speak but instead ended up croaking something she didn't even understand!

"Hey dad, she's awake!"

That was Gohan's voice. Before she knew it two shadows emerged into her ever-clearer vision, Goku and Gohan peering down at her. She tried to ask how long she'd been out for but once again her voice made some sort of incoherent gibberish.

"I think she's still out of it," Gohan spoke looking slightly relieved but also seeing some sort of humour to his friend's predicament. "She might need to rest a little more!"

She wasn't out of it! Hairiyu tried to move her arms, realising just how much pain and damage her body was in. None of her limbs would move and it had only just come to her attention that her breathing and heart-rate were alarmingly rapid. Hwr muscles all felt like they'd been strained and overused and she could feel some of them twitching. There'd be no use in her trying to train, she didn't even think she could stand without swaying on her feet if she tried to! Just how much training had she missed and how much more would she miss? It then hit her. An overwhelming sense of inferiority and uselessness hit her and consumed her, her willpower now too weak to stand up to it. Hairiyu felt her lip start to automatically quiver as her eyes moistened, she tried to stop it but it was no use, she was just too run down and exhausted from having to use her emotions to try to transform. She hadn't been able to utilise them correctly and had grown increasingly furious with herself, her emotions now becoming unstable. She found feel the cool stream making its way down her cheekbones and towards her ears, vision blurring wildly.

"Hey, it's alright, calm down," Goku softly spoke. "You had a close call but you're ok. You put up a really good fight Hairiyu and gave it your all. Just rest up for now."

Rest up? He wanted her to rest? She always had to rest up! She could never do things right; it always had to be she'd mess up and then rest! Why was she always inadequately prepared? Why did she always have to fail at these things? Why was she so weak?

At this rate she'd never be able to help her friends!

"... I hate this..." She barely spoke.

"Well at least you managed to make sense that time," Goku half-joked. "You did great out there but there's no sense in forcing your body to take any more strain than it already is. Give yourself a chance to recharge and we'll try again soon, I promise."

"It's hard but you'll do it, I know you will!" Gohan added encouragingly, though Hairiyu refused to make eye contact with him. She just wanted them to leave her so she could cry without having to feel ashamed for doing it in front of other people.

"Come on, let's give her some space," Goku ushered Gohan out from the small space, both father and son leaving her to her thoughts. Hairiyu lay facing the ceiling and let herself weap quietly. Her body and mind felt exhausted and in need of rest but she was too worked up to fall back to sleep. She wondered if the two boys were going off to train without her? That was a thought that seemed to set herself off more. Feeling inadequate and useless she resigned herself to her fatigue and closed her eyes.

-

The next time Hairiyu realised she was conscious things were quiet. She was still in her bed alone; every time she or Gohan were injured, the other would have to sleep in Goku's bed. She was usually the one injured...

Her body felt sore more than anything though it did feel better than before. Hairiyu even managed to roll herself out of bed though her balance was a little off as her legs were still shaky. She gingerly opened the curtains, peering through them. No one was up and from the sounds of it she could hear gentle breathing coming from the other bed.

Good.

She tiptoed through the room passing the other bed and wandered outside (or rather to the vast white world surrounding the small building they stayed in), boots and gloves in tow. As she reached the bottom step she sat herself down and slipped her shoes and gloves on before walking out a little into more open space. The gravity had a noticable effect on her and she could feel the strain on her body but she ignored it, determined to try again. She'd do it whether or not she was well enough, even if she'd end up killing herself in the process. Surely it was better for her to die trying than to live never having succeeded and being labelled a failure? She couldn't stand the thought of never being able to make it; her pride refused to let that possibility become a reality.

When she was sure she was far away enough not to wake the two guys up, Hairiyu stopped and stood still, taking a small breath in before exhaling. She closed her eyes and calmed her mind. She had to focus.

A threat to her own life hadn't been enough to trigger it. Trying to create a need wasn't working... Her father had said she wouldn't be able to do it and so far he was right.

She'd done it in Trunks' future.

"... I can do this..." She mumbled quietly to herself in an attempt to make herself believe. It seemed to help, even if part of her felt she was just being delusional.

Hairiyu lowered her stance and clenched her fists tightly, the muscles of her limbs shuddering under the pressure. She'd remembered how she'd reached that strange sensation before, the one she felt she could reach out and grab if she only knew how to. She just had to get herself back to that point.

Goku's advice hadn't been totally off the mark; his suggestion of imagining all their friends dying did seem to trigger the sensation; that wasn't so hard to do considering the painful memories she held. Her thoughts trailed over all those she'd seen die before her against the Saiyans and Freeza. Time after time again she'd been bailed out of a life-threatening situation. When the time had come for her to act, she'd either been too afraid or it hadn't been enough. Someone always had to save her.

The feeling was coming though she tried not to focus on it too much; focusing only forced it away. Instead her thoughts continued to roll out. All those times she'd felt so inadequate, so useless. No matter how hard she'd tried she had never been able to do what she wanted to do, she'd never been able to beat an enemy threatening her friends and family's lives. She hated how her own fears had stopped her from acting or how she'd always been a hindrance to others. Her fear of harm or death had always gotten in the way... Where had it gotten her? Ultimately she'd been murdered by Freeza's hand, all that running and being scared to act had cost her almost everything. It would have cost her everything had it not been for the miraculous powers of the Dragonballs. Was it really worth clinging to life that desperately? Was it worth her putting her own selfish desire to be alive before those of her friends? Was that the kind of person she really was?

There it was. It almost floated in front of her face taunting her. She didn't know how to reach it!

_'The response comes to a need, not a desire.'_ Goku's words echoed through her mind. Hairiyu tried to force herself to feel need rather than desire - it was a hard concept to do considering she was trying to reach something she had no clue how to reach, not fully anyway. Unbeknowst to her, her ki started to pick up and fluctuate slightly in reaction to her emotional state and thoughts.

She couldn't grab it. No matter what she tried she couldn't reach that peak! She wouldn't change; those she cared about would still get hurt and she'd be too cowardly or too weak to stop it. The memory of her mother almost being killed by Raditz appeared, playing over and over again.

Hairiyu's fists were trembling, her face scrunched up in frustration. No, this feeling wasn't working; she could feel it slipping away from her. She had to calm herself but somehow use this rage! Desperate to keep control of the distance of the feeling she started to focus on the past. Her energy continued to fluctuate, now emerging outwards as her aura burst free. She couldn't be who she'd been; it had always ended up in tragedy. She didn't want it to be this way anymore! It couldn't be this way; she needed to stop it! There needed to be a change in her, there needed to be something she could have to stop all these awful things from happening. At this rate she would lose her father, mother, brother, grandparents, friends and all those she'd ever met! She needed to change! She needed to become a different person; she needed not to be herself!

Suddenly she grabbed it.

A whole new well of emotion and power swept throughout her entire body. The extreme fury she held to herself and her inabilities fuelled her rage and she screamed out loudly, blinded by her own hatred towards herself. She didn't care who heard, she didn't care what happened to her – all she cared about was her loved ones living, even if it meant her sacrificing her own life to achieve it. What did she matter?

Her body shook under the immense pressure she was under, aching muscles suddenly bulging a little as the ki burst free like a violently flowing river bursting its banks. Her ki exelled itself outwards and changed colour, her hair becoming more spiked and wild and changing from dark brown to a golden blonde. In the same instant her eyes gleamed greener, pupils vanishing momentarily.

The feeling suddenly vanished. Hairiyu felt her body cave in under the strain, too exhausted to withstand the energy coursing through it and she felt herself fall backwards.

-

Apparently her outburst had woken both Goku and Gohan from their slumber and they'd witnessed her brief transformation before she collapsed from exhaustion. It took Hairiyu a full day to finally wake up and when she did she found Gohan walking past on his way out of the bathroom. Once he realised she was awake he quickly proceeded to asking her as many questions as he could think of about her transforming! A stunned Hairiyu found herself lost for words!

"... Really?" She spluttered as she blinked in shock. "I thought that was a dream!"

"No, it was awesome!" Gohan replied excited, "Dad and me both saw you! You transformed into a Super Saiyan! So what finally triggered it?"

So it really had happened? She'd actually done it? "I don't really remember..." Hairiyu lied. "I just remember thinking about what you said and how I wanted to fight to protect my mama."

"Well we're all Super Saiyans now!" Gohan grinned in anticipation.

"... Which means the real training starts here!" Goku appeared around from the pantry, a large pile of food held in his arms. "Both of you two now need to learn how to control your Super Saiyan forms but first of all, breakfast! I know I keep asking but does anyone know how to cook?"

-

The months passed. Gohan and Hairiyu continued to learn to control their Super Saiyan forms and battled alongside Goku, sometimes as a team and sometimes with one of them paired up with Goku. Unbeknownst to either of them, their energies were dramatically increasing.

One day Gohan and Hairiyu were sparring together; Goku sitting quietly nearby concentrating on something. He seemed to be deep in meditation whilst the two children battled one another, neither dared question what he was up to...

Gohan lunged out, Hairiyu dodging his attacks and trying to strike him with some of her own, frustratingly making contact with Gohan's blocking arms instead. Their movement was fast-paced, faster so because of their Super Saiyan powers. It had become evident that Hairiyu seemed to have a slight speed advantage yet her hits weren't as packed as Gohan's – although Goku and Gohan had commented they still hurt like hell if she managed to catch them off-guard!

The two children separated and landed metres from each other on the ground. Both were a little worn down from sparring for so long and were short on breath.

"... Wanna take a small break?" Hairiyu asked.

"I think so," Gohan peered over towards his father, "... He's been sitting there for a while now."

"Yeah, I wonder what he's thinking about," Hairiyu agreed.

To both their surprise Goku rose to his feet.

He transformed into a Super Saiyan.

With a yell his muscles and ki suddenly swelled, startling both Gohan and Hairiyu and leaving them speechless! The Saiyan's appearance had made a noticable change, his muscle mass now making him look almost like he'd been inflated or something, though his ki was nothing to laugh about!

Gohan rushed over towards his father, Hairiyu following with interest. He'd done it! Goku had transcended the Super Saiyan state, just like he said he would!

"Dad, you did it!" Gohan cried ecstatically. "You're an ascendant Super Saiyan, I can feel it!"

"... I could probably go one more level if I wanted," Goku muttered.

With a loud yell and what looked like a lot of straining, Goku's muscles swelled even more, his ki skyrocketing to what felt like unreachable heights!

"... Wow..." Hairiyu could feel the sweat rolling down her face. "That's incredible! Your ki is huge!"

"You could take Cell down easily now!" Gohan cheered.

"... No," Goku shook his head. "I can't beat him in this form..."

"Why not?" Gohan asked.

"All this new muscle mass may give me new strength but it kills my speed. All the strength in the world won't be any good if I can't hit the guy!" Goku explained, suddenly reverting down to his normal form and breathing out a small sigh. "The form consumes too much energy too. I'd say all in all, the regular Super Saiyan is the best; at least now I know!"

"... So what are we gonna do now? If you don't think those other forms are gonna help, what do we do?" Hairiyu asked anxiously.

"We're gonna try and make Super Saiyan our natural form and stay in it!" Goku explained. "We've got to work on getting rid of that restless feeling. We'll have to start over from basic training; it seems like the long way but it's the best way to go!"

"Ok," Gohan nodded. "We're ready for whatever you'll throw at us dad!"

"Glad to hear it," Goku smiled. "Ok, let's just try to stay as Super Saiyans for the rest of the day. We won't fight yet, just try to control our emotions and get on with the day."

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow in concern. It seemed a bizarre thing to be doing especially since it involved not even training! Was Goku really sure this was in the Earth's best interests? Then again he was the Earth's best fighter, who was she to question his methods of training?

All they could do now was hope Goku was right in his thinking.


	60. Chapter 059

**Chapter 059 - The Nine Day Plan**

It felt strange knowing this would be the last few minutes she'd spend in this bizarre, dangerous white space. She wouldn't have to feel the immense heat and fridgidness of the room again and would never have to deal with altering her balance when stepping out into the white outside where the gravity had quickly increased, not that she noticed it anymore. She wouldn't have to share a bed, she wouldn't have to get by on small portions of food because the stocks had run low, she wouldn't have to live in this insane dimension with just two other people for company. Then again it also meant that whatever she'd achieved now was going to be the best she could give; there was little chance of her growing any stronger in a hurry if something bad had happened while she and the boys had been training. This was it.

Nine months passed inside the room.

It was at that point Goku decided they were done.

Opening the door to the outside world seemed quite daunting and she wasn't sure what to expect when they'd join back with their own dimension. The bright light etched through the growing crack of the door as it swung open revealing other colours which she had not seen in a while, different smells she had not been able to pick up in nine months, most noticably the cool feel of a small breeze passing into the room from outside. As she passed through the doorway alongside Goku and Gohan she could sense several large power levels. Cell's power seemed to have made another colossal increase which worried her. Had he absorbed Eighteen while they'd been in the room? She could sense Piccolo, her father and brother were alive.

What had happened?

Gohan trotted a little ways ahead of them as they wandered through the hallways. It seemed strange being able to breathe so easily, almost like a big sense of relief had washed over her body. Hairiyu welcomed the feel of the small breeze as it passed her cheek; it felt good to be out of that room.

Natural light hit her eyes as she emerged outside of the palace. There were several figures surrounding the entrance, most tall with a couple of exceptions. Tenshinhan, Piccolo, Trunks, Vegeta and Mr Popo were all congregated around the entrance apparently waiting for them. She had a sneaking suspicion all would be surprised to see her, Gohan and Goku emerge as Super Saiyans rather than their regular selves; it had all been a part of Goku's plan to grow used to the form and it had turned out well for all of them.

"Vegeta and Trunks are still here?" Goku asked. "I can still feel Cell's ki too so he must be alive! What's going on?"

Hairiyu looked around at the others; everyone seemed to be here and well. That was a relief. She noticed her father was glaring right at her and immediately averted her gaze. She had a sneaking feeling he was surprised to see her as a Super Saiyan; she could see no other reason why he'd be looking at her!

"So can anyone tell us what's been happening?" Goku asked stepping forward down the couple of steps and onto the tiles of the exterior part of the lookout, Gohan and Hairiyu following and sticking close to him. Tenshinhan started off but Goku interrupted, "Sorry but before you get started, is it ok if we can eat?"

For the second time in a day Mr Popo brought out dish after dish of delicious food as the three Super Saiyans gorged their faces. Hairiyu shovelled rice and chicken and vegetables into her mouth as fast as she could without choking; her stomach had been unsatisfied for so long now, especially since it had turned out none of the three knew how to cook! It was such a welcome sight to see, smell and taste properly cooked food again!

"Wasn't there enough food in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?" Tenshinhan asked baffled at the display before him and the others. It was almost like watching underfed animals at a zoo or something!

Goku answered something inaudible, a mouth full of noodles buffering the words.

"Alright Goku," Piccolo growled disgusted, "why don't you try saying it without your mouth full?"

Goku slurped up his noodles, much to Piccolo's grotesque! "... What I meant to say was neither Gohan, Hairiyu or I could cook, so it's been a long time since we've had a good home-cooked meal!"

"I see..." Tenshinhan spoke looking a little surprised.

Hairiyu placed her plate neatly on the small collection she'd already stacked and breathed out, finally full. "Thank you for the food," She lightly nodded her head down at Mr Popo. "That was really good and definately needed!"

"Yeah, it was great!" Gohan nodded with a grin. "Thank you Mr Popo!"

"... So Trunks, tell us what's been happening," Goku sat back on his hands apparently finished, leaving Mr Popo to tidy up after them.

Trunks, who'd been amusingly staring at all the empty plates before him, looked up and jumped slightly, "... Yeah, sure."

The news wasn't pleasant. Cell had indeed absorbed Eighteen and had become complete. Hairiyu listened intensely alongside Goku and Gohan, her fists clenching slightly as Trunks brushed over the small details. What really dug under her skin was her father had allowed him to absorb the android just so he could have the satisfaction of fighting a tougher opponent! She couldn't believe just how selfish and foolish he'd been; he'd put the whole planet at risk just to satisfy his own selfish pride – again! Hairiyu felt ashamed over his actions; her father had let it come to this. Trunks had tried to stop Cell but even his newfound powers weren't enough. Though what had surprised everyone was Cell's sudden announcement.

"I see... so he wants to hold a tournament?" Goku smiled. "Sounds exciting!"

"Exciting?" Piccolo repeated seemingly taken back.

"Hey Mr. Popo, do you still have my old clothes?" Goku asked.

Hairiyu pondered to herself. What exactly was this tournament about? She didn't understand Cell's thinking behind it and wasn't sure what the point of it was... He was now supposedly the strongest fighter on this planet; what chance did they have? Then again maybe Goku would turn the tables on him just like he had all the other villains?

Goku's clothes were brought out from the palace when she finally left her thoughts, "I even washed and ironed them," Mr Popo was saying.

She began to wonder where her own clothes were; her armour was pretty dirty and ripped up, not to mention she'd been wearing it for the past nine months straight!

"I'm sure my mother will make you more armour if you ask," Trunks suggested as Goku dressed.

"No thanks, I wanna fight as an earthling," Goku replied.

Hairiyu smiled. She wanted to follow Goku's example; he'd been a fantastically tough and powerful mentor over the past months. Although she was proud of her Saiyan heritage, she was also proud to say she was Earthling. Since she'd lived on Earth her whole life, she felt perhaps it was right to fight as one of them in her usual clothes. That and her old clothes were far more comfortable to fight in.

"Hey Piccolo, could I have some new clothes too?" Gohan asked approaching the towering warrior. "Can they be like yours? You were my first mentor after all."

Piccolo smiled proudly, "Sure kid. Consider them my gift to you." He extended one hand over Gohan's head.

Hairiyu got to her feet and ran into the palace, glancing around into the different rooms; Mr Popo hadn't been inside here for long so they had to be in here somewhere. She raided every room she came across, checking the furniture and opening the drawers. Eventually she came across her own clothes and smiled, dragging them out from the drawer and getting changed. Although these clothes were still dirty and slightly ripped from her fight against the androids, they were in much better condition than her armour. She'd just get changed when she got home.

When she appeared back outside, Hairiyu was surprised to see Goku'd vanished. She quickly joined the others, "Hey, where'd your dad go?" She asked Gohan.

"He went to go check out Cell," Gohan replied.

"Hey, your outfit's just like Piccolo's," Hairiyu realised smiling. "It looks cool!"

"Yeah, I wanted to wear it since Piccolo was our first teacher," Gohan grinned checking his new attire.

"... That's a good idea..." Hairiyu pondered before turning to the Namekian. "Piccolo? Sorry to be a pain but can I have new clothes too? Mine are a little roughed up and you can materialise things!"

"Alright, stand still," Piccolo placed his hand over her head. With a loud yell from the Namekian, Hairiyu's clothes were suddenly as good as new. She smiled and looked herself over, "Thank you Piccolo! Sorry to be a pain!"

"No problem kid," Piccolo smiled.

Eyes and gazes were diverted as Goku appeared just a little ways away from the rest of the group.

"What did you think, Goku?" Trunks asked.

"Well frankly I didn't think it would get that much stronger," Goku spoke, "There's no way of telling just how strong he is until the real fight begins... I won't really know until I try but as I am now, I don't think I stand a chance."

"... It's that powerful?" Trunks frowned, "I was afraid of hearing that..."

That wasn't the news anyone had really want to have heard. Hairiyu felt her stomach tie itself in knots but quickly shook it off. She assumed Goku was just being modest; he'd be able to beat Cell when the time came, after all he'd beaten Freeza who'd dominated the Saiyan fighter for most of the fight!

"Use the Room of Spirit and Time again," Piccolo suggested. "You can still use it for another year! We've decided that I'm going in first, then Vegeta, then Trunks. You three could always go in together again or split into two groups with another one of us."

"I'm sorry," Tenshinhan apologised, "there's no way I can compete with something on this level."

"It's alright," Goku smiled, "Gohan, Hairiyu and I don't need a turn. We'll train outside for the remaining nine days."

"... What?" Piccolo looked stumped!

Hairiyu couldn't help but stare at Goku. Was he serious?

"... You'll pass? You won't use the room again?" Piccolo asked seemingly searching for confirmation he'd heard it right. "Why? You still have another day before you've used up all of your time!"

"It'll be ok," Goku smiled. "It gets pretty rough in that room even if you're not doing anything! I'll do better in resting my body."

"Hah! So even the great Kakarrot admits defeat against the rigours of the room," Vegeta chuckled smug to himself.

"Maybe," Goku replied, "There's a point where stressing your body more is torture not training... I've got nothing against any of you guys using the room though. You've probably still got more room to improve."

The smirk on Vegeta's face disappeared, "What did you say? Are you suggesting that you are more advanced than I am?"

"Yeah, a lot," Goku nodded with a playful smile.

"What?"

Hairiyu looked away from her father in an attempt not to laugh at Goku's teasing. Her dad was so easily angered, especially when it came to Goku!

"Good luck everybody," Goku smiled. "We'll see you at the tournament!" He turned to Hairiyu, much to her surprise. "Don't worry too much about training for the next nine days, ok? Take the time to relax and let your body heal from the room. Can you do that for me?"

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow at the Saiyan, "... If you say so..."

"Trust me that's all you need to do..." He turned to his son, "Ready to go Gohan?"

"Y-Yeah..." Gohan nodded awkwardly waving as he followed his father off the lookout and down to Earth, Hairiyu waving back.

So she wasn't to train anymore? Somehow she felt perhaps Goku was trying to kill her but at the same time she felt she had to listen to him. He was her mentor after all; she would hope he knew what he was talking about!

"So you managed to do it after all then?"

Hairiyu blinked and realised Trunks was talking to her. "Do what? You mean become a Super Saiyan?" She asked, a smile quickly appearing on her face. She felt proud of her achievements; they hadn't been easy to get after all.

"Yeah, you look just like you did in my time," Trunks replied. "... So why's Goku so calm?"

"I have no idea," Hairiyu shrugged her shoulders. "He hasn't said anything."

"... Going back to Super Saiyans..." Tenshinhan spoke up, "You guys are all in your Super Saiyan states right? I always thought it took a tremendous amount of energy to stay as a Super Saiyan, yet you guys all look so relaxed."

"Goku and Gohan – and Hairiyu here – are Super Saiyans without a doubt," Piccolo agreed. "It seems that somehow, they've trained themselves to be able to maintain the state as if it were their normal form."

"Oh... so does that mean you guys can undergo another transformation during battle?" Trunks asked Hairiyu.

Before she could even answer someone else did.

"Idiot! You're not paying attention!" Vegeta barked. "It's obvious they've decided this is their best combat state! If they get used to it it'll minimize the strain on their bodies during battle! Kakarrot has a strategy."

Suddenly and for little reason Goku's ki skyrocketed higher and higher, the tiles of the lookout below their feet beginning to crack under the pressure. He wasn't too far off, about a mile or two underneath the lookout but even from here she could feel the effects of his power-up as if she were standing next to him!

"Wh-What is this energy I'm sensing?" Tenshinhan cried.

"It's Goku!" Piccolo gasped.

Hairiyu stared down at the floor calm and quiet; it was now she guessed he was at Korin Tower. She'd never been to Korin Tower herself but had heard many stories about the place from her mother about Goku in his youth. She wondered why he was powering up...

It stopped.

_'That was a fair amount of his ki,'_ she noted to herself.

"That was incredible..." Trunks murmured. "Was that Goku's full power, Hairiyu?"

"Nope, he's a lot stronger than that," Hairiyu replied. "I don't think that was even half of his power."

"N-Not even... half?" Tenshinhan stuttered. "... What kind of training did you guys do?"

"Piccolo! Hurry up and get in the room!" Vegeta spat angrily. "There's a line backed out here you know!"

-

Piccolo soon made his way towards the Room of Spirit and Time, Hairiyu following to wish him luck.

"So are you going in by yourself Piccolo?"

"Yeah," Piccolo nodded. "I need all the time I can get if I want to get stronger... Sorry kid but I couldn't afford to have you tag along, even if Goku said you needed more time..."

"Wow... You're that serious?" Hairiyu mumbled in awe. "I hope it works out for you. Just before you go in, where is my mama? I thought she was here a yea- I mean, a day ago when Goku took Gohan and me inside the room."

"I'm not sure," Piccolo answered, finally reaching the door. "You make sure you prepare yourself; this tournament will be the deadliest you've ever seen..." He turned and took a deeper look at his former student. "... I can't believe how much stronger you and Gohan have become..."

Hairiyu smiled as Piccolo put a hand on her head. "You make sure you train as hard as you can Piccolo!"

"Of course."

With that the Namekian disappeared behind the wooden door, closing it behind him.

Hairiyu wandered back out to the lookout finding everyone else still standing around. "Piccolo's just gone in..." She spoke, not expecting an answer from anyone.

Trunks approached her, "Hey, can I ask you something? Has Goku said anything to you about his plan against Cell? He seemed so calm earlier on."

"He hasn't said anything to me," Hairiyu answered. "I guess he's got one but he hasn't told us anything about it..."

Trunks seemed a little disappointed to hear this. "Oh..."

Hairiyu looked down at the floor unsure of what to say. Trunks was right in noticing Goku was calm, especially considering the position the Earth was in right now. Even if she'd managed to become a Super Saiyan and had grown far stronger than before, Hairiyu doubted she'd be able to hold her own against Cell's power. She wasn't even sure if her power was more than enough to match the androids!


	61. Chapter 060

**Chapter 060 - A New Guardian**

Hairiyu was furious. She'd been out of the Room of Spirit and Time for over a couple of hours and had been given a more detailed account from Trunks of what had happened during the fight with Cell. Now she, her father, Trunks and Tenshinhan waited patiently as Piccolo trained inside the room. Whilst Hairiyu had endured nine months worth of torture and training inside the room, Vegeta and Trunks had attempted to take Cell down. Cell had already absorbed Android Seventeen and was easily one of the strongest fighters on the planet! She knew what her father had done.

That was why she was furious.

Her father had toyed with Cell. He hadn't considered the Earth's fate to be in danger, depending on him to beat Cell and save everyone. Like the selfish, arrogant man she'd come to know him as, he'd toyed with the monster and had let him absorb the other android. All for his pride and satisfaction; because of these he'd doomed the Earth.  
She felt embarrassed to be the daughter of the man who'd single-handedly allowed Cell to beat them all. Her father had been the one to put the Earth in the situation it was in now. He'd been more than capable of saving them yet had been foolish enough to mess it up, all because of the challenge! He'd even gone so far as to hurt Trunks who was doing the right thing and trying to stop Cell! Even her brother hadn't been enough once Cell was complete.

Hairiyu glared over to the flame-haired Saiyan Prince, her anger boiling over the more she stared at him. He stood against one of the sturdy pillars supporting the entrance to the palace, cold, stone-faced features moulded into a glare; his typical facial expression. Dark eyes seemed to be focused on the entrance to the palace, so intense they seemed to see through the many walls and straight into the chamber. His arms were folded as usual, fists clenched and muscles tense. He'd impatiently barked at Piccolo earlier to hurry up and take his turn, no doubt so he could go back in for his own training.

He wouldn't have needed to train more if he'd just finished Cell off when he had the chance!

She had to know why; no part of her brain could justify his actions. In the past she'd make excuses for him when the others attacked him over his agenda. This time she could come up with none; what he'd done was out of order.

Temper quietly boiling over, Hairiyu marched over towards her father, a stern and angry look on her face not too distant from her mother's glare.

The Saiyan seemed to notice her approach, eyes shifting in their sockets to focus on her.

For the briefest of moments the two warriors stood toe-to-toe without a sound.

"Why did you do it?" She asked.

"What?" The Saiyan muttered unsure what she was referring to. Even he could see her mother's facial expressions written all over his daughter's face; an expression he'd become well accustomed to seeing from the blue-haired wench. Yet the light blonde, wild hair the girl before him possessed was a stark reminder of her paternal genes; he had been shocked to see her as a Super Saiyan but couldn't deny, in some area of his brain, he was proud.

"Why did you let Cell beat you?" Hairiyu demanded voice filled with anger. "You could have easily defeated him; why did you let him transform and beat you?"

The small commotion had caught Trunks' interest; he sat over the other side of the entrance steps cautiously peering over to them, looking slightly surprised to see his older... or was it younger...? He was surprised to see his sister confronting her father like that. The Room of Spirit and Time must have done something to her; from his observations Hairiyu was a quiet and modest girl who'd never even dare stand up against her father in the manner she was doing right now.

"Why is that any of your concern?" Vegeta's eyes narrowed.

"Why? Anything that jeopardises the Earth's fate is my concern!" Hairiyu's anger was rising further, fists clenching by her sides as she defiantly kept her eyes on him. "I heard what happened! You were more than capable of taking Cell down! Yet you chose to let him absorb the android and turn into something that completely overwhelmed you! Did you forget that the Earth is depending on us to beat this fighter? How can you be so selfish?"

"Cell did not defeat me!" Vegeta barked, voice growing louder and more aggressive. "He tricked me, that's all! I am the only one who can possibly beat him!"

"You were the only one who could beat him!" Hairiyu knew this wasn't true; Trunks had grown far stronger than their father but didn't want Vegeta to know about this. Hairiyu had promised not to let it slip; she knew how hard it was to gain her father's respect and wouldn't want to ruin Trunks' chances.

"Enough!" Vegeta bellowed. "You won't understand even if I told you! You're manipulated by your stupid Earthling teachings; being a true Saiyan warrior is something you would never be, or even be able to comprehend! I alone understand what it takes to be a great Saiyan warrior!"

"Try me!" Hairiyu retaliated, crossing her arms. "Until you can prove to me otherwise, I'm not so sure I wouldn't be able to understand it! Until you can explain to me what the hell went on in that head of yours when you were given the choice to either finish Cell off or let him absorb the other android, I will never understand you or half of my heritage! For once why don't you actually teach me something?"

The Prince seemed to be slightly taken back by the girl's uncharacteristic aggression towards him though outwardly this was never shown. It wasn't often this side of her came out; he was pretty sure the magnitude of it showing right now was a first! No doubt it was that fiery mixture of both his and her mother's personalities coming out, albeit right now she sounded just like her mother.

Perhaps it was time his daughter learnt something about her ancestry...

"...We Saiyans prided ourselves as the greatest warrior race in the universe. Our natural instinct in life is to fight; to us there is no greater achievement in life than to grow strong, challenging foes in battle and winning. As you know right from our birth, we are classed by our power readings; the weakest of our kind start off against weak opponents and grow stronger; the strongest are pitted against much more capable foes and grow stronger. That has been the way of our kind for centuries.

"A true Saiyan warrior is one who shows no mercy to any opponent, shows no attachment to anyone. The stronger the opponent, the stronger the Saiyan becomes. The stronger an opponent, the more honour there is of the fight. A powerful opponent whom produces a far greater challenge will make the Saiyan grow stronger; the honour of the fight goes to whoever wins. Honour and pride is what keeps a great warrior going. To beat an opponent who clearly is no match to a Saiyan has no honour attached to it and little satisfaction. The honour and opportunity to fight a powerful opponent is far greater than one to fight trash.

"In this case Cell was a weakling. The challenge of facing what he might become was far more honourable than finishing him as he was. I wanted the honour of battling that freak at his best with no possibility of him becoming stronger! I wanted to fight him at his true and full power. There is no greater joy for a true Saiyan warrior than that... Even Kakarrot – misguided by his Earthling teachings – will admit even he grows excited at the prospect of fighting a strong, deadly opponent!"

There he stopped, looking down at his daughter.

For a moment Hairiyu looked down in thought. She had not expected an answer like that! She had the information now; what would she do with it?

"... So what you're saying is you let Cell absorb the android so you could face a tougher opponent?" she asked. "... You did it for the honour of fighting and defeating a stronger opponent..."

A small smile emerged on her face and she closed her eyes for a moment, "... That's why I'll never be a Saiyan warrior.

"Don't get me wrong; if it wasn't for my Saiyan heritage then I wouldn't be nearly as strong as I am now, especially since I'm a Super Saiyan... but I could never fight that way. Our reasoning for fighting is totally different. Saiyans fight for honour and the challenge; some Earthlings are the same... but I fight for others. I don't fight for honour; I fight so I can protect those who can't defend themselves. I fight so my mama, my brother, my grandparents, my friends – and you – don't get hurt or killed. Sure, my emotions get involved and if someone were to egg me on, I'd fight for myself... but I would never fight for myself the way you did. At the end of the day, if the Earth is in danger; if those I care about are in danger; I have to fight to save them.

"When you and Nappa arrived, I fought to help save the Earth from destruction. When we fought Freeza and his soldiers, I fought to protect the Namekians, the Dragonballs and to keep the chance of us wishing our friends back to life. When Freeza and his dad returned, I was to fight for the Earth once more... Now I fight to stop the androids from destroying the planet the way they did in Trunks' time. From what I understand, Cell is bent on killing every single human alive. I will fight him to defend this planet and to stop him from hurting anyone else.

"I may currently show the characteristics of a Saiyan but I'm also half Earthling – and I'll fight as an Earthling."

The smile hadn't faded from her as she spoke and at times her eyes gave a sort-of vulnerably weak sense about them, the prince noted, especially when talking about protecting others. Her reasons for fighting sickened him, defying everything he had been taught as a warrior of the Saiyan race. Indeed he'd been right; she would never be a Saiyan warrior... but maybe it wasn't a complete loss. Whether she was aware of it or not, Vegeta had spotted small signs of pride in his daughter. A characteristic both he and her mother had.

As Hairiyu turned on her heels and walked off, the Saiyan prince kept his eyes on her. He'd always classed her as a weakling; a failure warrior who would never become anything special. Yet what he saw defied that. She was a Super Saiyan; she had achieved the pinnacle strength of his race. Her youth just made it that much more commendable. Perhaps that achievement had awakened other Saiyan characteristics in her such as pride and the will to fight.

Vegeta turned away and continued to stare through the entrance to the palace, usual scowl quickly returning to his face.

She had taken her place among her ideals and was developing into a strong, Earthling warrior. He would reclaim his place above Kakarrot and once again become the mighty Prince of the Saiyan race.

The lookout fell quiet once more.

-

A day had passed since Goku, Gohan and Hairiyu's emergence from the Room of Spirit and Time and finally it was Piccolo's turn to emerge from the room. Hairiyu'd ended up staying at the lookout alongside her father and brother as she had little else to do. Goku'd told her not to push herself over the remaining nine days before the fate Cell Games and although it put her ill at ease being told not to train, she figured Goku would have a good reason behind it all.

Vegeta was impatiently pacing the floor immediately outside the room, arms folded and temper flaring. Both his offspring and a nervous Mr Popo were also present and far more chilled out than the Saiyan Prince was. It was his turn to go back in after Piccolo; this time he would be training alone.

"Bah! What is keeping that Namekian so long?" He finally snapped. "Doesn't he know he's wasting important people's time?"

"Please, stay calm," Mr Popo suggested antsy.

"Calm? Oh I'll show you calm!" Vegeta spat. "I'll calmly knock the door down and calmly drag him out!"

"Father, it's ok," Trunks tried to calm him, "You still have over a year's worth of time left in the room."

"He's right," Hairiyu agreed, "You can afford to be patient, we still have eight more days."

As if on cue the door to the Room of Spirit and Time opened ajar. The three warriors and Mr Popo stood silently watching the door as it slowly opened.

_'Piccolo's gotten a lot stronger,_ Hairiyu noted as she latched her concentration onto her former mentor's energy signal. It was a relief to feel it much higher than before and knowing Piccolo would be of great help against Cell.

Piccolo emerged fully from the room and strode towards the small group.

"... That's funny..." Vegeta muttered as he began to approach and pass the Namekian, "... Your power didn't increase much. What were you doing, taking a nap?"

Piccolo glared over his shoulder just in time to catch the taunting smirk on Vegeta's face as he closed the door behind him. Hairiyu rolled her eyes and shook her head before turning her full attention back to Piccolo. She had many questions to ask about his training!

-

A couple of hours passed; Hairiyu spent the majority of this time questioning Piccolo and then sparring with Trunks. To hers and Trunks' surprise, the duo was able to have a fight on equal grounds! Punches, kicks and blocks were exchanged, each working up quite a sweat from the sparring session. In a brief lull the two jumped back to catch their breath.

"Are you holding back?" Hairiyu asked with a smile, impressed she was able to keep up with Trunks at all!

"I could ask you the same thing!" Trunks returned the smile whilst wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Fine, if that's the way you want it I'll come at you for real!"

Before either of them could charge, Goku suddenly appeared! Hairiyu was a little taken back to see him wearing civilian clothes for once!

"G-Goku!" Piccolo cried.

"Hey guys," Goku smiled, eyes quickly falling on the tall Namekian warrior, "Piccolo, did you go in the Room of Spirit and Time? You're a lot stronger than before!"

"Why don't you just say it Goku! There's no way I can compete with Cell, right?" Piccolo barked.

"Don't stand a chance!"

Piccolo chuckled, "... I guess I asked for that! So, why are you here?"

"I was here to ask you something," Goku explained. "Is it possible for you and Kami to split in two again? Cell's killed a lot more innocent people and we need the Dragonballs to bring back all those people who died. I have a feeling we'll need them too."

"I see," Piccolo muttered, "Unfortunately once Kami and Piccolo merged, both were aware they would never be able to split apart again. That's why I hesitated so much before we merged."

"I see," Goku pouted disappointed, "That's kinda what I figured."

"... So what now?" Hairiyu asked. "Is there another way we can get the Dragonballs back or something?"

"Hey!" Goku gasped. "I heard from Gohan that the surviving Namekians went to find a new planet right? Surely I could just go look for them! Maybe one of them would be willing to live here on Earth; that way he could become a god like Kami and we could have a new set of Dragonballs!"

"That could work," Hairiyu smiled.

"I'd be so happy to have another Kami here!" Mr Popo beamed.

"Right, I'm gonna go look for the Namekians!" Goku decided.

"How do you plan to find them; we have no idea what planet they went to!" Piccolo pointed out.

"I'll just use my Instant Transmission," Goku replied. "I'll just sense out ki similar to yours!"

"Can you sense energy from that far away?" Piccolo asked not sounding totally convinced.

"I think so, if it's not too far," Goku nodded putting his fingers to his forehead. "Everyone be quiet for a minute so I can concentrate..."

Hairiyu watched quietly as Goku scouted for any Namekian energy signals. She admired him for his sureness and confidence; maybe this would work after all!

Goku let his hand drop and grinned, "Well that didn't work!"

The dumbfound reaction of the others kept the lookout quiet.

"Hey, I'll just go to Kaio's and try to find them from there!" Goku gasped excitedly, quickly vanishing as fast as he'd appeared!

"... Is this going to work?" Trunks asked.

"With him, I never know," Piccolo replied.

Goku soon returned with a Namekian, much to everyone's shock! What was even more shocking was the Namekian himself.

"Dende!" Piccolo gasped shocked.

"Dende!" Hairiyu beamed sounding far more excited than her mentor, happy to see her old friend again!

"Wait here and I'll bring Gohan and Krillin," Goku butted in, quickly teleporting away.

Hairiyu rushed over to the young Namekian, "How have you been? It's been ages since I last saw you!"

"Yeah, I could say the same to you," Dende smiled, "... Can I ask what you did to your head? You look so different, I almost didn't recognise you!"

"Oh, I'm a Super Saiyan now," Hairiyu explained. "I went into this special room with Goku and Gohan and trained a lot and now I'm far, far stronger since the last time you saw me!"

"Wow... So then Goku's a Super Saiyan at the moment as well?" Dende asked seeking confirmation more than anything. "He's Gohan's dad, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded. "He's the one who defeated Freeza and was the first Super Saiyan! A lot's happened since then though... Some guy far, far stronger than Freeza has appeared and right now we're trying to fight against him!" She began to explain to Dende what had happened since the Namekians had left Earth, Dende listening with interest.

Goku soon appeared with Gohan and Krillin in tow. Naturally the two warriors were overjoyed to see Dende back.

"Dende, are you certain you can make Dragonballs?" Piccolo asked.

"The Namekian elder told me that he's great at it," Goku smiled.

"I'm sure I can make the Dragonballs in one-hundred days," Dende estimated.

"One-hundred days?" Goku gasped. "It takes that long?"

Dende seemed to give a little thought before speaking again, "... I could make them right away if we use the Dragonballs you had on Earth that turned to stone!" he suggested.

"Perfect!" Krillin grinned. "Hey, would we get three wishes like on Namek?"

"Yeah, I could make them that way."

"Hold on a minute," Piccolo interrupted. "Will we be able to revive more than one person with a single wish?"

"... Well I could make them that way too but it would mean we could only have two wishes." Dende answered.

"Excellent, then we'll do it that way," Piccolo smiled.

"Do you have the model of the Dragon?" Dende asked.

Mr Popo disappeared into the palace, soon reappearing with what looked like a small dragon statue shielded in a glass dome. He placed it down before the small Namekian.

"What an interesting design..." Dende muttered as he outstretched his hands. For a while he was still and quiet; Hairiyu watching eagerly waiting for something big to happen.

A bright glow suddenly came from the dish before them, a blinding flash of light shooting free and splitting into several streaks, bolting around the edges of the lookout before shooting down towards the ground below them.

"There, the Dragonballs should be back now."

"Wow, that fast?" Hairiyu gasped in shock.

"Ok then, I'm gonna borrow the Dragon Radar off of Bulma and go and look for them," Goku decided, "Gohan, you don't need to train anymore. Stay here with Dende until the Cell Games start!"

"W-What? Are you sure dad?" Gohan asked surprised.

"It'll be fine," Goku smiled. "See y-"

"Goku!" Hairiyu cried frantically. "S-Since you're heading over to my home, could you teleport me there too?"

"Sure, hold onto my hand," Goku nodded.

Hairiyu did as she was told and grabbed hold of the warrior's hand. In a flash the lookout disappeared. Before she knew it she was standing inside her mother's laboratory. Tools and wires were scattered all across the surrounding area and she was careful not to step on anything dangerous or valuable as she approached the working woman who had her back turned to them, leaning over a desk working on something.

"Mama."

Bulma turned and screamed, almost falling over her own feet when she realised Goku and Hairiyu were there! "W-What have I told you about teleporting when I'm not expecting it Goku!" She screamed loudly.

"Sorry Bulma, I keep forgetting!" Goku laughed.

Bulma stepped back and looked at the duo, eyes wider than before, "Hey... You're both Super Saiyans?"

"Yeah, listen Bulma..." Goku proceeded to explaining to Bulma about the Dragonballs being restored and requesting the Dragon Radar.

"... So Dende's the new guardian, huh?" Bulma smiled. "Well alright, I guess this is serious. The radar should be in my desk drawer."

"Alright... Which one's your desk?" Goku asked staring at the several desks around the room.

"I'll get it," Hairiyu stepped over the scattered mess, opening the drawers of her mother's main desk. Sure enough the Dragon Radar was right on top of the small pile of gadgets hidden away! She grabbed it and carefully made her way over to the adults, noticing what her mother was working on as she came back. Hairiyu's face dropped.

It was Android Sixteen!

"W-Why's he here?" She cried frantically.

"Krillin brought him over," Bulma calmly answered her panicked daughter. "Don't worry; he wants to fight on our side against Cell. You know the construction of this android is amazing. Dr. Gero was a jerk but a genius! The plans we were given are incredible high-tech stuff!"

"... Yeah?" Goku mumbled seemingly uninterested. "So, you got the radar for me?"

Hairiyu handed the radar over to Goku.

"See you guys later!" Goku waved, vanishing on the spot.

"... I'll never get used to him doing that..." Bulma sighed. "So how did your training go? Well I hope!"

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded, "Goku helped me to become a Super Saiyan! He and Gohan were really good sparring partners too... Only now Goku says we don't need to train anymore and Cell's holding a tournament..."

"Yeah? Well if Goku says you don't need any more training then I'd listen to him," Bulma spoke. "Goku knows what he's talking about! He's been saving the world since your mama was a teenager! Trust me he knows what he's doing... As for you, I'm incredibly proud of you!"

Hairiyu blushed and grinned sheepishly. Her mother was never short of praise for her and she liked it!

"So where's Trunks and your dad?" Bulma asked.

"They're both still at Kami's place," Hairiyu replied.

"Did your dad say anything when you turned into a Super Saiyan?"

"No, he didn't say anything to me... He was looking at me at one point though, I'm not sure why!"

"I'll bet he was proud to see his daughter was a Super Saiyan!" Bulma grinned. "He'd never say it of course but I bet he was thinking it!"

Hairiyu contemplated this thought. She doubted her dad really cared; he'd probably still think she was weak!

The young Super Saiyan left the lab and wandered back to her room. It had been a while since she'd slept and she was beginning to feel tired. As she lay herself down a lot played on her mind. Android Sixteen was being repaired in her own house, Cell was holding a tournament, Goku was insisting she didn't need to train anymore and so far, no one had been able to stop Cell... Was everything really going to be alright?


	62. Chapter 061

**Chapter 061 - The Haunting Past**

Time was of the essence. It was now a week until the start of the Cell Games and both Piccolo and Vegeta had spent a day each inside the Room of Spirit and Time in a bid to grow stronger and be enough of a challenge for Cell. Now it was Trunks' turn to train. The tension on the lookout was fantastic as each fighter was left to his own thoughts whilst Dende grew used to his new home.

Things down on Earth were far more panicked. Scared of the upcoming tournament and ultimate threat Cell had made on national television one day ago, the residents across the Earth were frantic and mad, scattering across the planet like ants uncertain of where to go and how to escape the monster. Many had given up hope but many more desperately wanted to cling to life. None had remembered the young boy who'd stopped Piccolo from carrying out a similar threat fourteen years ago, none had remembered the many times that same boy had saved the world from the grips of the Red Ribbon Army, the Saiyans and even been the world champion. History and Earth had forgotten Son Goku.

-

For the next few days Hairiyu spent time relaxing at home and helping her mother and grandfather out in the labs. The news on the television continuously filled her with sorrow; it looked like the whole world was panicking about Cell's tournament. The media had no idea just the impact this tournament would have on the planet; sure they understood it would lead to the end of the world if Cell won, yet they spoke of how the world's hero and current world champion, Mr Satan, would rise and surely defeat Cell. She could tell even by looking at him through a screen that he was nothing special. Just another egotistical human who'd get himself killed. He wouldn't be the Earth's hero – Goku would. He'd always been Earth's hero...

Hairiyu decided one day to visit the local coastline as she was rather fond of the sea. If these were to be her last days alive then she couldn't resist not visiting one of her favourite spots close-by to her home.

The cool salty air blew lightly against her face as she sat on top of a cliff looking out to sea. Hairiyu contemplated as she watched the blue waters roll in from the horizon, admiring the beautiful view. Every-so-often she'd hear the footsteps of people walking across the public footpath behind her. It twisted and wove its way across the hilly cliffs down to the town to the left and towards the beach.

A couple of shrieks and yells caught her ear. She spotted a group of teenagers were climbing up an outcrop of the shoreline. Hairiyu watched curiously, wondering what they were doing and hoping none of them would slip – didn't they realise what they were doing was dangerous? None of them could fly (naturally) and there were some rocks hidden in the shallows below them. One wrong move and one of them could easily fall into the shallows and break something or worse! She didn't understand why some humans were so reckless. At least she'd be in a far better position to save herself if something were to go wrong!

The small group reached one level of the rocks and to Hairiyu's shock and disbelief, one by one they began to jump straight into the shallow waters below! Hairiyu watched nervously, leaning over the edge of the cliff precariously trying to see under the surface. She wasn't sure if she was thankful but so far, all of them had managed to reappear unscathed. She could see they were all landing in a deeper sandy part of the seabed, although there were some rocks inches below the surface dangerously close to where they were landing!

She knew what was going to happen, just one of them had to mess up and it would end in tears. Anxiously she watched for a little while longer.

Hairiyu wasn't kept waiting long.

A boy – younger than most of the others – had chosen a spot just to the left of the others to jump from. He wouldn't land in the same spot they had and apparently he had no idea of the dangers just below him. Hairiyu could see from where she was standing and guessed he couldn't!

His body began to fall as he bravely and foolishly pushed himself off, goaded by his friends in the water.

Hairiyu jumped off the cliff as fast as she could and shot towards him. She caught the boy mid-fall, flying a little out to sea before she doubled-back towards the narrow sandy beach below, back to his gobsmacked friends.

The boy suddenly started screaming and frantically wriggling about. "I'm flying? What's going on? Why am I up so high?"

"Hey, try not to wriggle around otherwise I'll drop you!" Hairiyu ordered slightly irritated he'd been so reckless.

"What? Don't drop me!" The boy cried trying to get a glance of whoever was talking to him!

Hairiyu descended and landed back on the top of the cliff, letting the boy down on his feet. She wasn't too pleased with him!

"Why'd you put me up here? All of my friends are down there!" The boy pouted turning around and glaring at her. "You ruined my jump! I was tombstoning with the others!"

"Are you nuts?" Hairiyu snapped. "What you were doing was dangerous! You would have landed on those rocks just under the surface! What do you think would have happened if I let you fall?"

"I wouldn't have landed on any rocks! Everyone knows it's all sandy down below there!" The boy retaliated. "You're such a kill-joy! Now they're all gonna make me do it again!"

"It's not flat down there! I can see the rocks submerged from here!" Hairiyu bellowed growing increasingly angry. "See for yourself!" She pointed down towards the spot where he and his friends had been.

The boy glanced down. Looking at his face, Hairiyu could tell he'd seen the rocks; the water was pretty clear from where they stood.

"... I wouldn't have hit them," he grumbled.

"You were heading right for them and if I hadn't jumped in and caught you, you'd probably be drowning on the seabed having a fit!" Hairiyu folded her arms. "Man you're stubborn!"

"Yeah well thanks to you they're gonna call me a chicken and tell me I've gotta do it again! It was scary enough the first time!" The boy spat.

"If you find it scary then why are you doing it?" Hairiyu asked agitated.

"B-Because I have to! Otherwise they won't let me hang around with them!" The boy snapped.

"Big deal, find some new friends!" Hairiyu rolled her eyes. "If they're gonna pick on you for not being stupid and having some common sense then what kind of friends are they?"

The boy quietened for a moment looking at the grass below his feet.

-

"... So you're with your sister's friends?"

"Yeah."

Hairiyu and the boy had calmed down and were both sitting on the grassy banks of the cliff. Apparently the boy had spotted a couple of the people from his group had headed towards the stairs at the end of the beach and were coming to get him. Until then all the boy could do was wait and not wander off. His sister would kill him otherwise!

"Why were you guys tombstoning off the cliff?" Hairiyu asked. "That's dangerous."

"It's fun... or at least they all say it is," the boy replied. "I've never actually done it before so they picked a spot that wasn't too high up... I don't really like high places that much but they all started calling me chicken!"

Hairiyu pouted annoyed and unimpressed. "What kind of friends are they?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well they're friends with your sister, aren't they? Why would they put her little brother in danger like that, especially since you don't like heights? They're not friends!"

"They're all I have at the moment," the boy frowned. "Ever since we moved away from West City, I've had no luck making friends at the moment so I'm stuck tagging along with my sister. The worst part is I'm still in Elementary School and she's in Middle School so I don't see her at school."

"That's too bad," Hairiyu felt a little sorry for this boy. "... So why did your sister let her friends pick on you? She doesn't sound like a good sister to me! I'd never let my friends tell my little brother to do something so dangerous!"

"Oh no, she's not mean at all! She's really nice," the boy smiled. "My sister wouldn't let anything dangerous happen to me if she knew about it!"

"Then why did she let you do it if she knew it was dangerous?" Hairiyu asked; she really didn't understand this girl's perception of safety!

"She didn't; she was off buying ice-cream so she doesn't even know," the boy answered. "... Hey, you're a girl right?"

"What? Of course I am!" Hairiyu raised a baffled eyebrow. Was he that dense?

"S-Sorry, I wasn't sure!" The boy grumbled. "Your hair's all gelled and sticking up! How was I supposed to know? It's a weird hairstyle for a girl!"

Hairiyu realised she was still a Super Saiyan and went quiet, turning away and looking out to sea. She didn't need to explain her hair to him at all...

"... So are you here with friends?" The boy asked.

"No, I'm here by myself," Hairiyu replied.

"What? By yourself? Isn't that dangerous for someone like you?" The boy cried. "What if you fall off a cliff or get kidnapped by someone creepy! No one's gonna know! Do your parents know you're here on your own? Man, and you had a go at me! You're even worse than I am!"

Hairiyu glared at the boy, "I'm pretty sure I can look after myself... For starters I can fly!"

"You were the one lecturing me about danger – you're a hypocrite!" The boy folded his arms.

"You're annoying," Hairiyu stood up and looked down the path towards the beach. "When is your sister supposed to be getting here? I wish she'd come and find you so I don't have to talk to a jerk like you!"

"Likewise," the boy replied. "You're so grumpy and you look like you've stuck your finger in a plug socket!"

There was a small pause, suddenly an audible gasp came from the boy's mouth. "Kragu's jumping!"

Hairiyu looked over to see the group from earlier were back on the rock tombstoning. Before she could even realise what was about to happen, one boy disappeared under the waves.

He didn't come back up.

"... Where is he?" The boy asked nervously getting to his feet. "He hasn't come back up!"

Slowly the others in the group were climbing down the rocks, jumping into the sea at lower heights and swimming over to where their friend had entered the water. Without any second thoughts, Hairiyu grabbed the boy and jumped from the cliff, flying straight down onto the beach amidst the boy's screams! In seconds they landed on the wet sand, Hairiyu rushing into the sea as fast as she could knocking a decent amount of water away with her strides! It wasn't fast enough, there was too much drag from the water slowing her down so she jumped free from the water and flew over to the point she'd seen the boy vanish; now amongst the several panicked friends. She helped them to pull him up to the surface and drag him back to the beach. The boy was unconscious and bleeding.

A small crowd slowly gathered as the group of teenagers and Hairiyu brought him in.

"Kragu!" The boy gasped, looking at his sister's friend before flinching and turning away. "I hate seeing broken bones!"

There wasn't much Hairiyu could do right now. She didn't have any senzu beans on her and she couldn't fly and get Dende to heal him; the flight to Kami's and back would take far too long.

"Somebody call an ambulance!" One of the friends bellowed.

"Soba!"

The boy turned around, "Sis!"

-

It was a further half an hour until the injured boy was taken away by an air rescue crew to West City Hospital. Hairiyu watched with the others as the helicopter slowly rose into the air and carried the casualty over the cliffs and towards the city.

"I hope Kragu will be ok," the boy sighed.

"I can't believe he actually got hurt," one girl gulped. "What happened anyway?"

"He hit the rocks," Hairiyu answered. "You couldn't see them from where you guys were jumping, but if you look from the cliff at the top of the beach, you can see the rocks below that rock formation."

"... To think that could have happened to me," the boy mumbled.

"W-What?" His older sister gasped horrified. "You mean you were... Alright, which one of you guys told him to tombstone with you? He's scared of heights for starters and he's my little brother! I don't want you encouraging him to do dangerous things!" She yelled at her friends. "If you wanna jump in the sea then you go ahead, just don't get Soba involved! My older brother would kill me and all of you if anything happened to him!"

Hairiyu smiled to herself. So this boy's sister was good after all...

"As it is the world's gonna end unless Mr Satan steps in to beat Cell; don't get yourself killed before it you guys! I wanna be able to spend as much time with you all as possible..." The sister added.

Hairiyu frowned and looked down at the grass below her feet. It was three days now until the tournament would start. She'd almost forgotten about it...

"Thanks for flying in and saving me earlier."

Hairiyu blinked and realised the boy was talking to her! "Oh, it's ok. I hope you learnt a lesson!"

"Yeah, I guess so," the boy nodded. "My name's Soba and this is my sister, Ramen. What's your name?"

Something clicked in Hairiyu's mind that had been bothering her for a while. The brown hair, dark but innocent eyes, the voice; they'd all sounded a little familiar to her and now she thought she knew why.

"... Soba, you said you were from West City, didn't you?" Hairiyu asked.

"Yeah," Soba nodded. "I lived there until a couple of years ago... Now that I think of it, I remember this one day in West City First Elementary, I knew this girl in my class and one day I saw her fly off!"

_'IT IS HIM!'_ Hairiyu gasped, _'Soba was in my class at Elementary School!'_

"Come to think of it, you can fly too!" Soba giggled. "Who are you?"

"Um... I've gotta go home! It's getting late and my mama would kill me if I don't get home on time!" Hairiyu spluttered. "It was nice meeting you Soba!" With that she took off, leaving the confused group behind her! That had been a close one!

On the grassy verge, Soba's eyes began to widen in shock, he slowly pointed after the fleeing girl. "... It couldn't have been..."

"Wow, so she can fly?" Ramen exclaimed. "I wish I could do that! Dunno about the weird hairstyle! Was that really a girl?"

-

Two more days remained. Hairiyu was beginning to grow nervous now. Just two more days until the start of the Cell Games. Anxious and restless she decided to head over to visit Goku and Gohan for the morning. After dropping in to see if they were home, she was informed by Chichi that the boys were down the stream fishing and relaxing. It didn't take long for Hairiyu to find them.

"Not long now," Gohan mumbled as he lay back into the lush grass. "Are you nervous?"

"Of course," Hairiyu answered.

"Don't worry you two, there's not much point in worrying about it," Goku replied as he stared up at the clouds above. "Trust me we'll come out of this alive. Cell won't win."

Hairiyu and Gohan both glanced over to Goku curiously. He'd been so chilled out ever since they'd come out of the Room of Spirit and Time and hadn't explained why! Every time they'd asked he'd just simply told them not to worry!

"... Goku, exactly what is your plan?" Hairiyu asked. "You must have one; you're so confident everything will be ok!"

"Look, stop worrying about what my plan is and just let yourselves relax," Goku answered avoiding directly answering the question. "Just trust me on this one." He rose to his feet and stretched. "Right, time to catch lunch!" He started to remove his jacket and the majority of his clothes save his boxers, a sight which Hairiyu'd rather not see as she forced him out of her peripheral vision. He had no shame at times!

There was a splash as the Super Saiyan entered the water of the stream before them.

Gohan sat up and sighed. "I'd be able to relax more if he told me what he was planning to do... Dad and Korin think that Cell could be stronger than dad..."

"Why won't he say anything?" Hairiyu frowned.

"Mother's been acting a little differently over the past couple of days," Gohan murmured. "She's been a little more lenient with my studying and has been looking through photo albums a lot... I think she's worried."

"I can't blame her," Hairiyu sighed bringing her knees to her chin. "I think we're all worried, no matter what your dad says. I'd worry less if I knew what his plan was!"


	63. Chapter 062

**Chapter 062 - Day of Judgement**

The day had finally come. Earth had run out of time as finally the sun rose on the morning of May 26th, the day of the Cell Games.

Hairiyu'd spent her last day up on Kami's lookout hanging out with Gohan and Dende, both of which were studying whilst Hairiyu chose to read quietly. All too soon their precious time together had been snatched away and now they had to ready themselves for the tournament. Now they were all waiting for Goku to arrive; the Super Saiyan had spent the past couple of days relaxing at home with Chichi going going about life as if Earth were enjoying a reign of peace.

"Here he is!" Krillin gasped as Goku suddenly teleported before them via Instant Transmission.

"It's finally time," Goku smiled though this quickly vanished and was replaced by a puzzled look. "... Where's Vegeta?" He asked.

"He went on ahead," Piccolo replied.

"So he's raring to go then? He must have gotten stronger!" Goku mused cheerfully, a hint of excitement in his voice.

Hairiyu didn't feel like smiling or feeling happy; her stomach was too busy tying itself in knots. So much was riding on today's showdown. Today she would see if her training with Goku had actually paid off and whether his advice to relax would get her killed! She along with the others had other things on their mind besides the thought of dying. Dende had delivered some bad news to them which had put everyone but Gohan and Trunks on extra edge.

"What's wrong with all of you?" Goku asked breaking through the silence. "You're not all nervous are you?"

It took a moment before Krillin finally spoke up. "... Listen Goku, there's bad news. Dende made the Dragonballs in a way that lots of people can be brought back with a single wish from the Dragonballs... but those who have already died once still can't be brought back to life a second time because he used the already-existing Dragonballs."

"I'm sorry," Dende apologised in shame, "I should have said so from the beginning."

"Don't worry about it Dende," Goku smiled indifferent to the news. "We'll just have to not die!"

"N-Not die?" Krillin repeated baffled, "Goku, this is Cell we're talking about!"

Hairiyu had died and been brought back to life already with the Earth's Dragonballs. She didn't feel to comforted with Goku's advice!

Goku wasn't having any of it and seemed insistant on keeping a positive attitude, "Come on guys, let's go or we'll be late!"

-

Unfortunately the flight there didn't last nearly as long as Hairiyu'd hoped it would. The strange but noticeable tournament ring quickly became visible as they approached, Hairiyu observing it with interest as they landed. In the centre of the ring was Cell. Finally she'd seen him with her own eyes. He looked a lot shorter than he'd appeared on the television broadcast she'd seen, though his energy was nothing to laugh at. They were all in trouble if Goku didn't do something; he was their best hope.

Indeed her father was already here, as was Sixteen. He looked as good as new; Hairiyu had to hand it to her mama and grandfather for restoring him. The android was making his way towards them. Her attention wandered as she observed the surrounding area a little more, trying to take in as much detail of how the fight may pan out. The immediate landscape around them was uneven but more or less level. In the distance were some mountains.

"It's Sixteen! I guess he got repaired after all!" Krillin exclaimed.

The towering android stood before them. "I want to thank you Krillin," he spoke, "if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't still be in action."

"It was nothing," Krillin smiled bashfully.

Goku stepped forwards and held out a hand to the towering machine, "Let's do our best."

The android's smile quickly faded, his eyes momentarily losing their warmth as they fell upon the Saiyan. It was the most aggressive and coldest look Hairiyu'd seen come from any of the androids' faces. "... I was created to kill you, Son Goku. Don't ever forget that."

Those words sent a chill through Hairiyu's body. Was he still planning to kill Goku?

"... Well then, shall I get things started off?" Goku asked stretching and cracking his knuckles in preperation.

"Do you really think we should start with you, Goku?" Trunks asked nervously.

"Is it ok with you Vegeta?" Goku glanced over at the shorter Saiyan who stood a little ways away from the group, though close enough to hear them speaking.

"... Do what you want; I'll still be the one to finish him," Vegeta muttered.

"H-Hey! Who said you get to pick?"

Hairiyu was startled by the sudden unknown voice! It was then she realised there were a couple more people here she hadn't expected. Two of them were a camera man and a reporter; the third she'd seen a lot recently on television. His afro, moustache and goofy outfit were even more bizarre to see in real life! It was Mr Satan.

She sighed and made a mental note to herself. These three would need to be wished back to life with the Dragonballs... if they somehow managed to beat Cell!

"Excuse me..." the reporter approached the group. He was a scrawny man wearing a black suit and tie, glasses perched on his nose. "are you all entering the Cell Games?" He enquiried.

"Yup, most of us," Goku answered.

"...You've got to be kidding!" The reporter yelled flabbergasted. "This isn't a game! It's called a game but it isn't-"

"You're the one who doesn't understand," Krillin muttered unimpressed.

Mr Satan chuckled and looked at the group, "I didn't expect to see this... I guess some people have been living under a rock and never heard of Mr Satan!"

"This is the World Martial Arts Champion! He's the mightiest fighter in the world!" The reporter cried.

_'World Martial Arts Champion or not, he's nothing compared to any of us or Cell! These guys are seriously underestimating the dangers here!'_ Hairiyu grumbled to herself.

"It's time..." Cell's voice floated over the air towards them. "The Cell Games are open! I don't care who goes first – one of you step up!"

"I'll do it," Mr Satan smiled briming with confidence, though the entire group of fighters standing at the side of the tournament ring were certain his overconfidence would cost him dearly.

As much as she wanted to call out and stop him, Hairiyu stayed quiet. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad and so much of a pain if this guy went first. She doubted Cell would want to dirty his hands with a regular human, especially one with an attitude such as that of Mr Satan.

"You'll get killed," Goku warned; apparently he was far more concerned with the man's welfare. "I'm saying this for your own sake – go home!"

Mr Satan and the reporter exchanged glances before the reporter turned to the camera man muttering something under his breath. Shortly after, the camera turned in their direction fixated directly on Goku.

"I can almost hear the whole world groaning!" The reporter spoke into his microphone, "Did you hear what this man just said to our champion? He had the gall to tell him he'd get killed and told Mr Satan to go home!"

Hairiyu glared annoyed at the reporter. These people really had no idea what they were in for and yet they had the nerve to be so cheeky and smug? "... What a bunch of idiots..." She mumbled to herself.

"Goku, let's just let the idiot have his way," Krillin frowned. "We'll bring him back to life with the Dragonballs!"

"... If you say so..." Goku sighed, raising his hand to signal the ok, the reporter making some snide comment about the Saiyan coming to his senses.

Mr Satan wasted no time as the reporter babbled on his pointless commentary; the Earth's 'hero' tossed his cape up into the air before removing his belt, holding it above his head. To Hairiyu and everyone else's surprise he pulled out a capsule from his shirt and tossed it to the ground; Hairiyu interested in what he planned to bring out. It turned out to be a bag. On closer inspection and after the contents were removed, it was a bag full of tiles.

Hairiyu groaned and realised where this was going. _'Please tell me he's not serious! What an idiot!'_

"I don't believe this..." Krillin was in a similar mood, slapping his face in embarrassment.

Mr Satan stacked the tiles before him – Hairiyu estimated there were about fifteen tiles there. The towering, overcompensating brute stood above them and began to focus his energy, every motion needlessly recorded by the reporter. There was a small but noticeable twinge in the man's larger than human ki as he roared out, slamming a chop down into the tiles.

He shattered all but the bottom tile.

"Oh no!" The reporter's babbles were loud enough for them to hear, "One didn't break! Yet look at that demonstration of power! Fourteen tiles have been smashed into pieces!"

_'Big deal...'_ Hairiyu was unimpressed.

"Cell!" Mr Satan barked. "Look at these tiles – that's what you're gonna look like in a minute!"

"Cell must be terrified! The once arrogant monster must be cringing now at Mr Satan's destructive power!" The reporter bellowed. "It's too late for apologies now! The people of Earth won't pardon his crimes!"

"Alright!" Mr Satan lowered his stance and raised his defences. "Come at me!"

Already Hairiyu could see several weak spots in the man's defences, although he seemed to have a basic grasp of defence. With a roar the man rushed forwards, leapt up and hit Cell in the side of his head. A barrage of weak shots followed, Cell's ki unwavering from this scale of attack, though Hairiyu had to admit she was impressed the human hadn't broken his fists from hitting something so strong as Cell. Still it wouldn't be long now...

"Get out of my face!" Cell lightly swung a hand out. Mr Satan was sent flying through the air for quite a distance, striking a rock formation not too far away before falling to the floor.

"For a moment there..." Krillin mumbled quietly to Gohan, "I was rooting for Cell!"

_'Me too,'_ Hairiyu confessed.

Thankfully the reporter had finally shut up as he looked over to where Earth's 'hero' had been sent flying just a few seconds ago. It was nice to be able to hear the wind after so long!

"... He lived... Pity," Piccolo muttered. "I suppose even Cell must have not wanted to dirty his hands on something like that..."

Indeed Mr Satan was getting to his feet clutching his jaw with one hand. Hairiyu was impressed he'd managed to survive Cell's hit as well as the hard strike he'd made on the rocks! He may have been nothing compared to the real fighters here but he certainly was more capable than any regular human! With any luck it would keep the fool quiet for the time being as the reality would sink in.

"Now let us get started!" Cell demanded. "Who will be first? Will it be you, Son Goku?"

"Yep," Goku stepped forwards onto the tournament ring.

Hairiyu glanced across to the two fighters, a serious expression on her face and a small glint of nerves floating in her stomach. Now was when the fight for Earth's fate would really begin...

"Mr Satan, what exactly happened there?" The reporter asked. "It looks like you lost!"

"I just lost my footing," Mr Satan replied through pain-filled grunts.

"You... just... lost your footing?" The reporter repeated stunned.

"That's right!" Mr Satan bellowed. "I'll take a little break and then enter the ring when this guy's finished! Then I'll really get down to business!"

"... That guy still doesn't realise what happened?" Vegeta muttered stunned. "... His stupidity's beyond belief!"

Hairiyu had to agree with her dad there; this guy was utterly clueless as to what'd really happened!

"The fight's about to begin..." Gohan mumbled, making Hairiyu's attention switch back to the ring as Goku took his place. Now was when she would finally see Cell's power for her own as well as what Goku was fully capable of.

"So you're going to start us off?" Cell mused with a smile as he unfolded his arms. "I was hoping to save the best for last!"

"D-Don't worry people of Earth!" The reporter's annoying voice drifted over. "Mr Satan slipped and fell out-of-bounds but he'll fight Cell again after a small break! In the meantime, one of these idiots who refuses to listen has stepped up to face Cell! Let him learn his lesson; only some stupidity death can cure! Mr Satan, what are your thoughts?"

Mr Satan chuckled, "I can tell by his stance that he's an amateur! He wouldn't last two seconds against me! I'll give him five against Cell!"

Hairiyu glared over to them shortly, narrowing her eyes in annoyance. _'Just you guys wait. When Goku starts fighting, you'll both learn to shut your mouths and watch quietly!'_


	64. Chapter 063

**Chapter 063 - Goku vs Cell**

The tension started to rise as Goku stepped onto the Cell Games ring, his back now turned to his friends, many who were eager to see what the Super Saiyan could do against the android. Cell stood with his arms folded watching Goku as he moved against the tiles before finally coming to a stop.

"It's about to begin," Gohan muttered quietly.

"Yeah..." Krillin acknowledged the young Super Saiyan watching the ring carefully. Hairiyu did not speak, too busy attempting to still her wild heart which pounded in her ribs. She felt so anxious for Goku, would all the resting he'd recently done since they came out of the Room of Spirit and Time come to haunt him or help him? What was Cell capable of now he was in his complete form? She hadn't properly laid eyes on him before, only seen him on television. His power felt incredible and she knew this was only the tip of the iceberg. There was no way this was all of his power, he'd be conserving.

_'Good luck Goku...'_ She took in a deep breath.

In a flash the fight had started as Goku dashed forward. A couple of blows were traded between him and Cell, both blocking the other's attacks with relative ease and competence. Goku leapt backwards dodging one of Cell's punches, backflipping several times as Cell closely pursued. Landing on both his feet, Goku defensively placed both arms over his forehead blocking Cell's headbutt. In an instant the Saiyan flipped backwards aided by the force of Cell's hit and kicked the android high into the sky. The Saiyan jumped up after his opponent and charged up a Kamehameha, firing it up at his adversary. Cell saw it coming and slapped it to the side effortlessly. Then suddenly Goku was behind him; a punch to the off-guard android's back summoned a yelp of pain from Cell yet he retaliated sharply as his fist swung out and struck Goku in the face. Two fists slamming down into the Saiyan's body sent Goku shooting down rapidly towards the ground. Goku quickly regained control and landed on his hands and feet with a forced impact, cracking the tiles below.

Cell landed not too far from Goku as he rose to his feet. "I think that should be enough for a warm-up," the android mused.

Thankfully the reporter and Mr Satan were staring at the ring gobsmacked! Hairiyu smiled satisfied and averted her eyes back to the ring.

"Now the real fighting will begin," Krillin muttered.

Whilst the television reporter and 'world's savour' muttered some unimportant words to eachother Hairiyu kept her eyes peeled on the two competitors. Goku's posture changed.

_'He's gotta be getting serious now'_ Hairiyu noted to herself.

The Saiyan's ki began to increase, his aura expanding around him brightening the immediate area in a sea of yellow. The sudden shockwave and strong winds pushed against those surrounding the ring, dust whipping up and flying through the air. Hairiyu stood calmly, waiting for Goku to hit his full potential. As his ki continued to rise it passed the point Hairiyu'd once witnessed Goku climb to during her training; whatever happened now was new to her...

Eventually Goku's rising ki levelled off and he stood before his opponent, body shimmering in a golden glow.

"Unbelievable... Goku is just unbelievable," Trunks spoke in awe.

"His ki is immeasurable!" Krillin grinned. "It's way beyond all of us!"

Hairiyu wasn't sure if she agreed. She was certain Goku was still holding something back but couldn't be too sure. It felt as if this wasn't all he had; Goku still had more power to give if needed.

Now it was Cell's turn. The android created an equally strong shockwave knocking the unsuspecting human spectators off their feet and several metres away! Quickly his power reached Goku's level. It had to be true; neither of them could be at full power as they were both on equal terms...

Goku approached the android and the two stared down at the other for a brief moment.

"Bring it," Cell jeered.

"Alright..." Goku's fist lodged itself in Cell's abdomen, elbow striking down Cell's head before his kick sent him soaring up into the sky. A punch decked the android and sent him rebounding off the arena floor and over towards the edge-

Cell abruptly stopped and floated in mid-air, a peculiar smile on his face as he altered himself to an upright position. "Good... It's no fun unless you're on equal terms!" He landed a couple of feet from the edge of the ring, drawing his hands back in a familiar fashion. "Ka... Me..."

"Wait!" Goku gasped. "Don't shoot a Kamehameha while you're so high revved up!

"Ha... Me..." The cry had fallen on deaf ears and Cell seemed to have a taunting smirk on his face.

Hairiyu gulped and began to worry; an attack at this magnitude would severely damage the surrounding area and easily kill them all!

"He's going to fire it!" Vegeta cried.

"Cell- up here!" Goku bellowed jumping up into the air.

"HAAA!" Cell fired off his Kamehameha straight for the fleeing Goku, narrowly missing the on-looking spectators! Hairiyu found herself being pushed back on her heels, putting up her guard and attempting to defend herself against the powerful gusts of wind, slowly stumbling backwards. The bright blue beam shot up into space closing in on the now trapped Goku...

For the briefest of moments she could have sworn Goku's ki had vanished.

Then Goku appeared behind Cell. The move caught the android by surprise along with everyone else; Goku lodging a kick to the off-guard android's face and sending him to the tiled floor once again. Cell quickly flipped back onto his feet ten metres across the ring.

Hairiyu breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment she was sure Goku would be caught by that Kamehameha. Then again Goku was a master of fast movement and thinking during battle, no one else would have been able to escape it.

"That Kamehameha couldn't have missed!" Cell snarled. "You disappeared like that once before too..."

"It's called Instant Transmission," Goku explained, "I guess you didn't know I could do that."

"I see. What an annoying technique..." Cell muttered.

"...Tell me, would you have let that Kamehameha destroy the Earth if I hadn't jumped?" Goku asked.

Cell smirked, "... I knew you would jump. To answer your question though, I'd destroy the Earth without batting an eye... It would just cost me a little fun, that's all."

_'Just a little fun?'_ Hairiyu repeated in shock. _'Is this all this is about? Cell's killing people and threatening to destroy this planet because it's fun?'_

Cell went on the attack, this time striking Goku down more than receiving hits. The small scuffle didn't last too long as Goku crashed down onto the floor, Cell teleporting behind him clearly outmanoeuvring his opponent. "I think I'm pretty fast myself," he smugly jeered.

The next couple of minutes saw neither fighter gain much of an advantage for long. Both fighters' energies were slowly being beaten down albeit Hairiyu'd noticed Goku's was falling a lot faster than Cell's. She'd crossed her fingers by her side as she watched, hoping Goku would pull out something to surprise Cell with. They couldn't afford for this to continue!

Goku had to do something drastic and fast!

The Saiyan warrior was struck in the face and sent down onto his back; he landed on his hands and swung his legs up, kicking Cell back up into the sky. Hurriedly Goku flipped upright and teleported. Both fighters were moving incredibly fast, Hairiyu just about able to keep up with their movements. The fight moved high up into the air as both continued to teleport, dodging the others moves before finally they reached a small break.

From their lack of moment she guessed they were talking again though it was hard to tell considering how high above them the two of them were.

"Those two are ridiculously fast!" Krillin cried astounded.

"W-Where'd they go?" She heard the reporter cry; it looked like he, Mr Satan and the camera man were still alive but had no clue where Goku and Cell had vanished to.

"EVERYBODY! GET AWAY FROM THE RING!"

Goku's frantic yell caught her attention and she stared back up; Cell's ki was charging and he seemed to be holding his hand towards the ground before them or possibly straight towards them!

Without any second thoughts she pushed herself away as fast as she could turning in the air. The explosion from behind pushed her forwards and sent her tumbling head over feet, rolling across the ground with a lack of control. The roar was almost deafening and she could barely see through the bright light and dust. Through the confusion she scrambled to her feet and looked back behind her, stunned to see the place where the tournament ring had once been was now a gaping big hole in the ground!

"You alright?"

Gohan wasn't too far from her; Hairiyu looked over to him and nodded, "Yeah, just got caught in the wind, that's all."

"That was close..." Krillin sighed in relief as he emerged from the light coating of dust that now covered the ground.

Hairiyu looked around; it seemed everyone else was ok and still in one piece. Her attention turned back to the sky and then to where the attack had struck, surprised and shocked to see the entire arena ring had been destroyed. The action puzzled her; why had Cell destroyed his own ring?

The two fighters made their way down onto the ground, talking a little more. Hairiyu felt perhaps it was safe to say all those rules that had once applied were now obsolete since they didn't even have a ring anymore! Perhaps the android had different ideas for how the tournament should end. He had been wanting to fight Goku after all.

Cell jumped forwards and fired off a barrage of energy blasts at Goku, the Saiyan dodging and diving out of harm's way. The battlefield quickly became coated in dust as the attack continued, Goku on the move as Cell fired blast after blast.

"Get outta there Goku!" Krillin cried.

Hairiyu watched anxiously; Cell's blasts were fast and were just missing Goku by inches. It would only be a matter of time before he made a successful hit, she was sure of it! He had to make his move now!

Goku suddenly jumped straight up for the sky through the smoke, hovering high above them.

"What's he up to?" Krillin asked no one in particular.

Goku drew his hands back behind him.

"Everyone take cover!" Piccolo gasped, "Goku's about to unleash the Kamehameha!"

"From way up there?" Hairiyu wondered. If she wasn't mistaken, the blast would surely make contact with the ground; Goku was still revved up pretty high. A blast at the magnitude he was at would destroy the Earth! This baffled her; Goku wouldn't ever put the Earth in danger like that... right?

"He won't do it!" Krillin smiled, "not with the Earth in his line of fire!"

Cell didn't move from his spot as Goku continued to charge, almost as if he was calling his bluff. Yet with every second that passed the more nervous Hairiyu got! Goku was still charging up power!

"He's doing it!" Vegeta gasped.

"Don't do it dad!" Gohan bellowed.

_'Goku!'_ Hairiyu felt her breath hitch in her throat terrified.

Goku vanished.

In the blink of an eye he stood inches from Cell, tossing his hands forward "HAAA!" He fired the blast at point blank on Cell before he'd even had a chance to move. The Kamehameha quickly engulfed the violently shaking ground, Hairiyu once again finding herself being pushed back from the force of the shockwave...

When the dust settled Goku stood panting with his hands still held out, body drooping slightly under the toll it had taken from using so much energy. A couple of feet away from him was Cell... or his remaining lower half! The top half had been completely disintegrated in the attack.

"He did it!" Yamcha cried happily.

"Of course, he used Instant Transmission!" Tenshinhan realised.

"We won!" Yamcha laughed, looking at the others. His laugh came to an abrupt stop. "... Hey, what's wrong?"

Hairiyu carefully observed Cell's body confused. He'd been hit at point blank and his head and arms destroyed... so why was she still sensing his ki?

"Watch out Goku!" Krillin bellowed frantically. "Cell's gonna regenerate!"

Hairiyu gasped and stared at the bald warrior, "regenerate? You mean like Piccolo can?"

"I mean exactly like Piccolo can," Krillin nodded, "Remember, he's got Piccolo's cells inside of him!"

As if on cue Cell's lower half suddenly sprung to life, jumping onto his feet startling several of the witnesses! Just as Krillin had predicted his body began to shudder and squirm before finally a new and reformed Cell sprung free from his carcass! Hairiyu winced and tried to hold down the lump in her throat; that hadn't been the most pleasant thing she'd ever seen!

After a few exchanges of words the fight quickly resumed, both fighters now taking heavy blows. The pace of the fight had slowed somewhat which was understandable since both warriors had used up so much energy, though Goku was still far shorter of ki than Cell and the gap seemed to be worryingly increasing.

Hairiyu gulped nervously. This was bad. That Kamehameha had drained Goku of a lot of his energy and although Cell had lost a lot of his own energy through the attack and regenerating, his power was still higher than Goku's. He even seemed to have a slight advantage now as Goku was punched straight into a nearby boulder and vanished behind the rocky pile.

With a terrific yell Goku expelled his rocky tomb and began to rapidly fire energy attacks at Cell who hovered above, bombarding the android with every attack. In an equally powerful display of his strength, Cell suddenly emitted a strange glow as something circular began to expand in all directions, slowly pushing the impact of Goku's attacks away from him.

The strange energy grew closer and closer, Hairiyu having to step back as it struck the small outcrop she and the others watched from!

Goku ceased his attack, now looking tired and worn down much to everyone's horror.

Cell cancelled his force-field and glanced down at the warrior below him, his voice loud enough for Hairiyu to pick up on. "You've lost a lot of strength Goku. Why don't you take a senzu bean; it'll make for a more interesting battle!"

"He's right!" Trunks gasped, "We should give Goku a senzu bean and all turn on Cell; he should be weak enough by now!" His attention had fallen onto Krillin though the short bald fighter seemed reluctant to reach for the senzu beans which baffled both Trunks and Hairiyu, though Hairiyu had an inkling she knew why...

"Come on Krillin!" Trunks protested.

"Shut up Trunks!" Vegeta barked.

Hairiyu looked over at her dad curiously; he'd been rather quiet throughout this whole fight considering it was Goku and Cell fighting.

"I guess you don't have a Saiyan's pride!" The Saiyan Prince snapped sounding disappointed. "I'm sure Kakarrot would rather choose death than disgrace himself with those beans! He's no longer fighting to save the Earth... Remember that!"

"... But at this rate...!" Trunks stuttered.

"Yes," Vegeta nodded, "He'll definitely lose."

So her suspicions had been right after all. Hairiyu gulped and glanced back over towards Goku; he was still trying to catch his breath back and hadn't made a move to attack Cell, probably thinking of his next move.

"I hate the thought but I'll admit it," Vegeta continued, "I've trained hard but I could never beat Kakarrot; he's brilliant! Unfortunately Cell was a couple of steps ahead of him!"

"So what are we supposed to do? Just stand here and watch?" Trunks demanded horrified. "I won't be a part of it!"

"You said yourself he must have a plan!" Vegeta answered. "Place your hopes on that..."

Goku's ki suddenly lowered. Hairiyu's head spun away from her family as she looked back at towards the warrior. His defences were down and he was smiling. Was he about to pull off some new, amazing transformation or technique? If he was, why had his energy gone down instead of up?

"I lose," Goku shouted up to his opponent, "I give up. You've shown me how strong you are."

Hairiyu gasped in disbelief. "What?"

"H-He's giving up?" Krillin exclaimed.

"What is he thinking?" Piccolo barked.

"No dad, don't give up!" Gohan cried horrified.


	65. Chapter 064

**Chapter 064 - Passing the Baton On **

The news that Goku'd given up had shaken everyone upon the clifftop nearby. The words repeated in Hairiyu's mind: "I give up". No matter how many times she heard it she still could not believe it had come from Son Goku of all people. Not even Cell could believe what he'd heard come from the Saiyan's mouth.

"Son Goku... do you realise what this means?" The android asked perplexed. "It would mean once no one is left to fight in the Cell Games, every last person on Earth will die!"

"Don't get the wrong idea Cell; I haven't run out of fighters yet!" Goku replied.

"It's the same thing!" Cell muttered bemused. "Vegeta and Trunks may have improved but they're nothing like you!"

Hairiyu's mind raced with many thoughts. Just what was Goku planning? No one here was stronger than him; why was he giving up? Didn't he realise he was the best fighter they had?

"Can I designate the next fighter?" Goku asked.

"... You're really going to go through with this." Cell spoke.

"The game will end at this next match because if this fighter loses, there will be no one left who can beat you! I know after trying my hand against you that they can beat you! That's why I'm leaving it all up to them..."

Hairiyu's stomach was backflipping, her heart pounding in her chest. She wished Goku'd specified what sex this fighter was; that way if the word he had been chosen, she'd definitely, definitely know he wasn't talking about her! _'Please not me! please not me!'_ She crossed her fingers and tried to gulp down the lump emerging in her throat.

"Do you mean to tell me there's someone stronger than you and me?" Cell demanded. "... Let me hear the name of this fantasy warrior!"

Goku turned around to face his comrades up on the ledge. Hairiyu's heart almost stopped; she couldn't take the suspense! Which one of them would he choose?

"It's your turn... Gohan!"

Had she heard that right? Hairiyu gazed over to Gohan who wasn't standing too far from her; he seemed pretty shocked to hear it as well! Was Goku really serious? Gohan was stronger than him?

"What did he say?" Vegeta demanded.

"G-Gohan's gonna fight...?" Hairiyu mumbled. "... Gohan, he thinks you're stronger than him..."

Gohan said nothing.

"Has he lost his mind at last?" Piccolo bellowed clearly not pleased with the outcome. "Is he going to send his son to his death?"

Hairiyu pondered this thought as Goku floated up towards them. Sure Gohan's power had grown a lot since he'd entered the Room of Spirit and Time but would it be enough to face off against Cell? She wasn't so sure of that.

"You can do it Gohan, right?" Goku smiled as he landed before the shorter Super Saiyan.

"M-Me? Fight with Cell?" Gohan stuttered.

"Stop and think about this, Goku!" Piccolo snarled. "How can he do this? He's grown remarkably powerful but this is Cell! Not even you stood a chance against him!"

"Piccolo..." Goku interrupted, "... Gohan has far more power than I can believe. Think about it; he's been fighting with us ever since he was little and has always kept up with us. I was nothing like that when I was his age!"

"Even if he's a Super Saiyan now, fighting against Cell..." Krillin stammered.

"Why don't we ask him how he feels?" Goku suggested. "Gohan, during the fight between Cell and I, did you struggle to keep up with us?"

"... Well... no," Gohan answered, "but neither you nor Cell were fighting for real, right?"

"I don't know about Cell but I was giving it my all," Goku replied. "You were measuring my ki against your own, right? So to you it looked like I wasn't giving it my all."

"... Is this true, Gohan?" Piccolo asked.

Gohan frowned, "... Yeah."

Hairiyu blinked in surprise and amazement. She'd assumed Goku had not been fighting at full power because of how strong she knew Gohan could get, so it was a shock to learn that the power Goku had been giving out was indeed his maximum! She started to question her own strength; she wasn't that far off of Goku's maximum herself! The training inside the Room of Spirit and Time had done far more wonders than she'd initially been aware of.

Goku patted his son on the back confidently, "Do it Gohan; bring peace to the world. You want to grow up and become a great scientist, don't you?"

Gohan looked up at his father briefly, "... Alright, I'll give it a try." With that he removed his cape and flew down to lower ground to meet Cell.

"... Are you really sure Gohan can handle this, Goku?" Hairiyu asked. "I know Gohan got really strong but I thought strength wasn't everything... Wouldn't his experience count against him?"

"Nah, he'll be ok," Goku smiled confidently. "Just watch."

Hairiyu anxiously turned back to watch Gohan; she wasn't sure how this would turn out but she was worried. Gohan wasn't a fighter by nature like Goku and the others seemed to be. She wasn't sure how he really felt about this fight but she hoped he'd be able to pull it off, as unrealistic as it currently sounded.

"Krillin, you still have some senzu beans, right?" Goku asked. "Could I have one?"

"Sure," Krillin passed Goku up a bean.

The Saiyan smiled as he retrieved the bean. "Thanks..."

What he did next caught everyone by surprise. "Hey Cell! Catch!" Before anyone could stop him Goku'd tossed the bean up to Cell!

"That's a senzu bean! Eat it!" Goku yelled up to the android.

"Are you nuts?" Krillin cried in horror.

"What are you doing?" Hairiyu demanded baffled. "Are you trying to get Gohan's chances of defeating Cell to nothing?"

"Cell's exhausted; it wouldn't be a fair fight," Goku explained.

To everyone's horror Cell ate the bean, the android smug and confident as his energy returned to him. "You're a fool; you don't get that this will mean the end of the world! Well I won't decline of course and you'll soon regret it!" His power jumped up as Cell revved his ki back up to maximum.

"Goku, what you did was insane!" Piccolo snarled.

Hairiyu looked down at the battlefield before her. Cell had powered up, now it was Gohan's turn. **'Please don't die Gohan...'**

With a loud bellow Gohan began to power up. The sudden shock of the staggering rise of his ki shook everyone as the ground violently trembled. Higher and higher it went, passing Goku's power and finally peaking. The dust settled around him, slowly drifting away from the energised boy.

Hairiyu's eyes weren't as wide as the others but she was still amazed by how much of a gap there was between his and Goku's power! She still couldn't believe what Goku was fighting at earlier was actually his maximum; she'd been so sure he could give more. His son had clearly surpassed him, just as Goku had wanted him to...

"That's Gohan...?" Piccolo spluttered. "... Mild-mannered Gohan?"

_'That's Gohan, Piccolo'_ Hairiyu nodded to herself.

Cell descended and landed a little ways behind Gohan. The boy turned and put up his guard as Cell muttered to him, his words too quiet and inaudible to hear...

Her blood pressure was surely doing overtime. Now would be the moment of truth, the moment they'd find out if Goku's true plan would work or not.

Cell charged forwards and attacked, Gohan blocked his kick oncoming kick, dodged his swipe and avoided the next kick. The two came to a stop on the ground.

So far so good. Gohan was quick enough to evade Cell's attacks but was he powerful enough to deal damage? Hairiyu gulped and kept her eyes peeled to the fight, fists trembling by her side as she clenched them tighter, nails almost piercing into her skin.

The android's speed suddenly increased, looking like a blur to Hairiyu. He grabbed Gohan by the shirt and headbutted him, repeatedly punching him in the face. With a light toss the android extended one arm and yelled out, sending Gohan shooting backwards with a kiai. The boy vanished through several metres of rock, dust expelled through the cracks as he was engulfed.

"This is horrible!" Krillin growled.

"G-Gohan!" Trunks called.

Hairiyu hurriedly locked onto his ki...

"Goku this is all your fault!" Piccolo bellowed. "Your judgement was wrong! We all warned you this would happen! Gohan is dead!"

"Don't jump to conclusions Piccolo," Goku muttered, "Can't you still sense Gohan's ki?"

"... He's fine," Hairiyu spoke in relief. "... Maybe we ought to give him more credit." Although she had to admit for a moment she'd agreed with Piccolo!

"Enough of these games, Goku!" Cell barked. "Have a senzu bean and fight me once more!"

"Idiot, look behind you!" Goku jeered.

Gohan had emerged virtually unscathed from his impact with the rocks. He walked until he stood a couple of inches away from the towering android. For a while nothing happened; Gohan and Cell seemed to be talking to each other.

"... Can you hear what they're saying?" Krillin asked. "I can't make it out?"

Hairiyu couldn't tell what was going on either; she could hear their voices but not their words.

Cell suddenly bolted forwards punching the off-guard boy clean in the face! Cell wasn't giving him a chance to recover as he dealt blow after blow overwhelming Gohan, his ki slowly falling as Cell used him like a punching bag. She couldn't watch this; she couldn't stand here and watch her best friend be killed by this monster!

Hairiyu stepped forward, something stopped her; a hand grasping onto her shoulder.

"Stay here," Goku ordered.

Hairiyu glared at the fighter, "... But..."

"Just do it," Goku butted in sterner than before.

She wasn't going to argue with him. Hesitantly she conceded defeat and turned away, watching with a look of remorse on her face, just in time to see Gohan kick Cell onto his backside!

"Cell fell on his butt!" Krillin chuckled.

The android rose and wiped his mouth, examining the damage he'd taken. After a moment or so he extended his finger.

Hairiyu was sure she recognised this attack!

A beam suddenly shot from Cell's finger, Gohan dodging with ease – It was that attack! That had been the attack Freeza'd killed Dende and her with! Several more beams were fired, Gohan dodging them all.

"That's Freeza's attack!" Krillin cried.

_'Oh yeah... Cell has Freeza's cells too!'_ Hairiyu recalled, answering her own questions as to how Cell knew that attack. A small wave of nerves shot around her every time Cell fired off the attack. It had killed her after all.

Gohan made a sharp dash to the side – Cell suddenly closed in and caught him in a bear hug! Gohan quickly started to scream as Cell began to squeeze. There was no way he could break the hold; Cell had too much of a grasp on him and the android didn't let up on his ruthless and cruel attack.

Hairiyu flinched struggling to stay on the spot. She could hear Gohan's screams and it did not sit well with her to hear them. She hated hearing people in pain and not doing anything about it; it was like torture standing here having to listen to it! To top it off it was someone she knew and cared about, her best friend. She couldn't listen to it!

"Gohan!" She cried, trying once again to charge in.

Goku was far more forceful this time; he snatched her ankle and tossed her to the ground, Hairiyu skidding backwards a few feet. Dazed but still determined she hurriedly got to her feet, glaring angrily at Goku. "What are you doing?" She yelled.

"I told you to stay here!" Goku barked.

"Stay here? Can't you hear that?" Hairiyu bellowed. "Gohan's in pain, Goku! I can't just stand here and watch this – he's my best friend!"

"I agree; I can't stomach watching this anymore!" Piccolo stepped forwards. "I'm going in!"

"Wait! Neither of you would stand a chance!" Goku warned. "Just wait a little longer!"

"Wait? For what?" Piccolo demanded. "Wait for Gohan to be killed?"

"Wait for him to get mad," Goku answered. "Gohan's rage will soon unleash his full power and then we'll really see something!"

Hairiyu glared at Goku. "... You mean his hidden power?" She asked sternly.

"Our only hope to beat Cell is to use the power in Gohan," Goku nodded.

Hairiyu looked back over to Gohan, feeling worried and sorry for him. She couldn't deny whenever his hidden powers had appeared in the past, he'd really laid it to whoever had provoked him! They were unpredictable though; Gohan had no control over accessing them and they would suddenly vanish even when awakened! Did Gohan know this was what Goku was counting on? Did he know why he was being left to suffer like this?

She doubted it.

Gohan wasn't a fighter by nature.

"You're wrong Goku!" Piccolo cried. "Gohan isn't a warrior like you! He may be stronger than all of us but deep down he's a scared eleven-year-old boy! Does he even know about any of this? Did you ever discuss any of this with him?"

Goku turned and looked at Piccolo. The smile of confidence had gone and was now replaced with a look of confusion.

"Do you even know what he's thinking right now? It's not rage! He's probably wondering why his father is letting him get hurt like this!" Piccolo snarled. "He's wondering if his father cares more about the rules of this fight than his son's life! However strong Gohan is, he's still a child! I don't care if I get killed! I'm going!" With that the Namekian began to remove his weighted clothing.

Goku stared at his son, lost for words. Gohan's screams were still echoing through the immediate area as Cell continued to crush him.

Hairiyu looked up to Goku, "... Please... Help him!" She asked. "Gohan doesn't like to fight unless he really has to..."

"... Krillin, give me a senzu bean."

"Sure," Krillin smiled reaching into the small bag. "You're not gonna chuck this one to Cell are you?"

"No, this one's for me," Goku shook his head.

The small thump down below caught everyone's attention; Cell had released Gohan. The boy lay on his face panting for air. Cell seemed to have gotten bored of torturing him, much to Hairiyu's relief, though she wasn't sure what he was going to do next. Gohan wasn't getting back up which worried her though he had endured a lot of pain.

The android muttered something, he was too far to be heard clearly...

Then without warning he shot towards the group on the cliff!

"No! Stop it!" Gohan screamed bolting to a leaning position.

Hairiyu quickly put up her guard as the android closed in on them, not sure what to expect! Cell stopped right in front of Krillin, snatching the bag in his hands before the warrior even realised what had happened!

"These are those nifty senzu beans?" Cell smiled. "They're annoying... I'll hold onto them for you!" With that he flew back down to Gohan.

Hairiyu clenched her fists in frustration and helplessness; now if anyone was to sustain any injuries there'd be no way to restore their power, unless of course by some miracle someone managed to get the senzu beans from Cell! The android went back to talking to Gohan, who was slowly getting to his feet. After a moment Cell glanced back up towards her and the others.

"Watch out!" Piccolo warned. "He's up to something!"

"Damn it, I should have taken a senzu bean when I had the chance!" Goku cursed.

Gohan suddenly dashed forwards to attack- Cell booted him off into a nearby cluster of boulders clearly expecting the oncoming attack. "If you're going to get mad, do it for real!" The android bellowed.

Hairiyu's eyes widened in shock. Without warning had Sixteen intervened. Cell was completely caught off guard and by the time he'd realised what was happening, Android Sixteen had grabbed him in a lock from behind and lifted him off his feet. Cell didn't seem to be able to break free from the android's strong grasp.

Hairiyu hadn't even seen Sixteen leave!

"When did he get there?" Goku gasped.

"He's a machine!" Piccolo growled. "He can go about undetected!"

"Sixteen's gonna fight Cell?" Krillin cried.

"He doesn't stand a chance!" Trunks said baffled.

Hairiyu nervously watched the android; sure he had Cell in his grasp but with both of his arms already in use, what did he plan to do?

"Forgive me for sacrificing all of you!" Sixteen bellowed up to the group. "I'll have to blow myself up along with Cell! This is the final power I was never meant to use- none of you can survive a blast at this close range!"

The eleven-year old girl hesitantly put up her defences, realising even with them up there was little point of her trying to defend herself! This wasn't right! She didn't want to die again! She'd trained so, so hard; she'd finally become a Super Saiyan and still she was going to die! What had been the point in it all? She didn't want to leave her mother, baby brother and grandparents undefended! Despite all this she knew there was nothing else that could be done. With a heavy heart she closed her eyes and waited...

The seconds went by like minutes...

Confused she hesitantly opened one eye and looked down at Sixteen.

Nothing seemed to be happening. Slowly she put down her guard, unsure of what was going on. Sixteen seemed to be just as confused from the little part of his face she could see.

"Sixteen! You can't blow yourself up!" Krillin bellowed. "When they fixed you at Capsule Corp, Dr Brief found a bomb in your body! They took it out because it was too dangerous!"

"Grandpa found a... a bomb?" Hairiyu gasped horrified. What kind of person was Dr Gero putting bombs inside his own creations? Did that mean Cell had one as well?

A flash of light and a peak in Cell's ki caught her attention; her eyes widened in shock as she saw Sixteen's body fall to pieces under Cell's ki blast; the android had somehow managed to free one of his arms most likely in Sixteen's moment of realisation. Body parts and metal clattered across the ground, head landing amongst them. The sight made Hairiyu gag; machine or not he looked perfectly human, so to see him decapitated still made her feel ill!

Cell walked over to the destroyed machine's head and kicked it away. Android Sixteen's head struck a couple of rocks and landed before the horrified human spectators who all shrieked in fear and disgust.

It had all happened so fast. First Sixteen had Cell cornered and was preparing to blow himself up, then in the blink of an eye it was Cell who had the advantage and was destroying the mechanical fighter! It played in slow-motion, making her feel sicker and sicker every time she saw it in her mind. Hairiyu flinched and turned away furious with Cell. Someone else had just been killed.

Cell's attention went back to those on the ridge above he and Gohan. Hairiyu had no idea what he was planning but whatever it was, she was now raring to fight. She refused to let what had happened to Sixteen happen again. If Gohan wasn't willing to fight then she would!

"What is he doing?" Vegeta spat.

Cell's tail seemed to open up, several blurs shooting out from it.

"What... are those?" Piccolo stuttered.

Hairiyu gaped in shock and amazement. Down by Cell were several smaller Cell-looking creatures; the main difference being they were blue and short as opposed to green and adult-size. She quickly began to count them... eight in all...

Then it clicked.

She was about to fight. They all were.


	66. Chapter 065

**Chapter 065 - Attack of the Cell Juniors**

Down below the cliff top something dramatic had happened. Cell had survived what had turned out to be a botched attempt by Android Sixteen to rid the world of the monster once and for all. Instead it had ended with Sixteen having his entire body blown to bits, his severed head being booted to the side by Cell like a child kicking a stone across the floor for fun. Frustrated he had not been able to cause Gohan's powers to leak out by torturing the boy, Cell had turned his eyes to those on top of the mesa overlooking the fight. The senzu bag had been stolen from them and now Cell had conjured up what appeared to be eight tiny versions of himself from his back! The miniature Cells all stood by their 'father's' side, their eyes peeled on the group above.

Hairiyu gulped and clenched her fists tightly realising just what was about to happen. Eight of the small monsters were down there and there were now eight of them standing and observing - including her. There was little doubt they were all in trouble.

The eight miniature Cells suddenly charged straight up towards them.

"Watch out! These guys are tough!" Goku bellowed frantically.

"Kill them!" Vegeta yelled as he started to charge up his power, transforming into a Super Saiyan. The Earthling fighters were not so eager to fight, many of which were now bricking it and for good reason - Cell and his little monsters would surely be way out of their league!

In the panic Hairiyu revved up her ki, trying to raise her power level as fast as she could before they arrived! It wasn't enough time; the Cell Juniors' reached them in a matter of seconds.

The Cell Junior before her charged straight towards her, tossing out a tiny fist which struck her chin and knocked her backwards clean off her feet.

She had to fight now. It was on.

Hairiyu backflipped and landed on both feet, pushing forward, charging her opponent and entering the fight. The Cell Junior was ready as he matched her blow for blow; both fighters throwing out attacks and blocking incoming strikes. It seemed to be an even fight which surprised Hairiyu as she'd not expected to be able to deal so well with the little monster's moves, though that did not make it an easy fight. She still found herself having to work hard to anticipate his moves.

The entire cliff was in a battle frenzy; out of the corner of her eye Hairiyu could see Krillin and Trunks fighting their miniature Cells'; Trunks had transformed into a Super Saiyan. Everyone had to defend themselves against these little monsters and she was among them! She knew immediately not everyone would manage to do this; Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Krillin were no where near strong enough to stand up to these monsters and she had her doubts about Piccolo too! She had to somehow help the less powerful of them out whilst also holding off her own Cell Junior!

The fight had slowly taken to the sky; the Cell Junior kicked Hairiyu backwards towards the cliff edge and over. The Super Saiyan quickly gained control of her movement and upon spotting a chance to intervene, deliberately flew down straight for Yamcha and his Cell Junior; he seemed to be struggling against the little fighter! Hairiyu momentarily looked over her shoulder attempting to keep an eye on her own opponent, firing off a ki blast behind her straight into her pursuing Cell Junior. The blast hit the little monster engulfing him in the explosion, slowing him down at the very least.

Hairiyu's attention now focused fully on the unsuspecting replica. Her foot slammed straight into the back of the Cell Junior fighting Yamcha, knocking the off-guard monster clean off the side of the cliff!

"You ok?" Hairiyu asked, gasping when she saw Yamcha's arm – it looked mangled and broken!

"I'll live..." Yamcha nodded through a flinch, "Just keep on your guard kid!"

Hairiyu's attention was taken back to the sky as a blast from her Cell Junior shot towards them. Immediately she drew her hand back and slapped the attack to the side and out of harms way, leaping back up into the air to rejoin her opponent. She doubted she'd get another chance to protect her friends like that again; she couldn't underestimate her opponent. His hits were strong and stung but Hairiyu was ready for them as the two sparred in fist-to-fist combat, rising higher and higher into the sky.

Everything was so hectic around her; Tenshinhan, Krillin and Yamcha were struggling greatly; even Piccolo and Goku weren't faring well! It looked like it was only her, her dad and Trunks who were able to put up a fight against these things! Gohan was still on the ground alongside Cell, doing nothing to help and just watching as his friends struggled. The sight annoyed Hairiyu slightly; just what did he think he was doing? He was more than capable of coming to help! If she could hold her own against these miniature Cells' and Goku was convinced Gohan could beat Cell, then why was he standing around?

Fists clashed as Hairiyu and the Cell Junior met once more in the sky. The constant close-combat was getting her nowhere and the Cell Junior had impressive speed which seemed to be even to her own. She had to do something drastic. Side-stepping a punch, she grabbed the Cell Junior's arm and violently tossed him over her head and down towards the ground, using the time to survey the other's battles and wiping the blood from her chin.

"Everyone! Goku's tired from his fight with Cell!" Piccolo bellowed down below, "We've got to help him!"

"Right!" Hairiyu glanced down quickly spotting Goku was indeed struggling. The Cell Junior was just too quick for the drained warrior. He hadn't been able to take a senzu bean as Cell had taken the bag full of the beans before Goku'd had the opportunity. The worn-down Saiyan was being beaten down by the little beast who seemed to be taking great delight in knocking him down.

She didn't need to see anymore.

Her Cell Junior opponent was rising to his feet from below so she had to be fast. Hairiyu teleported down towards Goku and swung a leg out, knocking the Cell Junior several metres across the ground on its face. She hurriedly stood in front of Goku defending him as the monster slowly rose from the ground.

"Th-Thanks... Sorry about this..." Goku muttered, trying to get back onto his feet.

A high shriek above her made Hairiyu look up; her Cell Junior was closing in on them both from above! Goku's Cell Junior had also risen to his feet and was charging them!

Piccolo suddenly struck the Cell Junior coming from above in mid-air, knocking him straight into the ground inches from its brother! Hairiyu didn't have time to praise him; she put up her guard and met the other oncoming Cell Junior mid-way, trading blows with the fighter.

The fight had dragged on for so long now. Hairiyu was gaining more and more injuries and her ki was slowly being beaten down. Not only was she trying to defend herself against her own Cell Junior, she was also trying to fight them off from those warriors struggling!  
It wasn't a successful plan anymore. Yamcha's screams could be heard, Tenshinhan was wavering on the verge of unconsciousness and even her brother and dad were starting to be beaten down! It wouldn't be long now until she would be joining them. These little fighters didn't seem to be losing any of their energy which just made matters worse. At this rate there wouldn't be anyone for Gohan to save.

Hairiyu's attention went down to Gohan and Cell briefly; still Gohan wasn't fighting! What more did he want? They were all being slowly beaten and killed up here and all he was doing was standing and watching! What was Cell trying to get at? Why were they all suffering when his opponent right now was Gohan?

The lapse in concentration cost her; the Cell Junior's small fist clipped her in the cheek before the other struck her clean in the top of her head, sending Hairiyu shooting down through the rocky cliff below, dust scattering all around her.

It took a moment for her senses to return and she realised she was laying in a crumpled heap amongst a pile of rocks. Quickly she pushed herself from the rocky ground, surging back through the small crag and out into the blinding daylight sun-

The Cell Junior had been waiting for her. As soon as Hairiyu emerged he'd tossed a punch connecting with Hairiyu's stomach. The unsuspecting girl bent over as the wind was knocked from her before she was then slapped away to the side, skidding to a halt close to where a now crumpled and exhausted Goku lay. Her stomach panged with pain and her face stung, she was certain she may have just scraped some of the skin from her chin as she'd landed. Flinching a little but determined to rise again, Hairiyu opened her eyes, finally realising Goku was near her. For a moment she stared at him, finding solace in him as he struggled to rise, coughing against the ground before sitting on his shins. "... I'm... sorry guys... I didn't think... it would end up like this!" He spluttered almost breathlessly.

Hairiyu frowned and closed her eyes for a moment. Here they all were relying on Gohan's hidden powers to awaken as Goku instructed and now being tortured because he had no control over them!

Her eyes opened and she stared over at the others.

Trunks had just been knocked down onto his back; her father was still fighting up in the sky but seemed to be fighting a losing battle. No one else seemed to be on their feet; all three human fighters and Piccolo were more-or-less face-down in the dirt. Krillin was down below, inches from Gohan and Cell; his little opponent still beating the tar out of him. Hairiyu could hear the monk's screams even from where she lay, his ki being chopped away with every strike.

She had to get up.

"Play time's over now children! You can kill them all now!" Cell's voice boomed across the area, echoing slightly against the cliff face.

Hairiyu felt a surge of heat rush through her body at Cell's words. Her determination flared up and she stumbled to her feet overpowering her aches and pains. Several Cell Juniors were currently clustered around the fallen Earthling fighters beating whatever was left in the unconscious men. Yamcha and Tenshinhan's powers were starting to become critically low; they needed help and fast!

"I won't let you have your way!" Hairiyu screamed to no one, forcing herself to stand up straight and tightening her grip, flaring up her energy once more in a bid to stay alive and conscious. Her legs pushed against the ground ripping up loose fragments of rock as she shot forwards with a loud bellow towards the small group of Cell Juniors surrounding the fallen Earthlings. Her speed served her well as she succeeded in butting one of the Cell Junior's in the back. she jumped into the middle of the crowd standing beside Tenshinhan, catching the attention of three other Cell Juniors. Her feet barely tapped the ground as she threw herself up high into the sky; the small group of Cell Juniors – including the one she'd just attacked – followed her up. She had to get them all away from the injured people down below!

Hairiyu concentrated her ki and brought her arms and legs up to her chest; quickly surrounded by the small gang of blue fighters. She screamed out as she expelled a large amount of her energy into a kiai, knocking all four Cell Juniors flying away from her. The power surged through her body as she continued to gather energy, determined to take them all on one-by-one!

The monsters quickly recovered and were back on the attack, this time working together as a team. A couple suddenly began to rapidly fire energy blasts at the girl; two others flying through the gaps towards her. Hairiyu dodged and blocked each attack as it honed in on her energy, noticing the two approaching Cell Juniors and firing down several of her own blasts. The Cell Juniors were wise to her plan and easily anticipated her moves, teleporting out of her eyesight. Hairiyu frantically locked onto their ki and avoided an oncoming double kick, the two monsters shooting past her as they missed.

She had not been prepared for the next attack. As she turned, the other Cell Junior couple caught her off-guard with a fierce strike to the stomach followed by a sharp blow to her head. Hairiyu was sent her plummeting towards the ground before crashing with a heavy thud. She choked upon impact, blood rising up her throat from the strike to her back as the first pair of Cell Juniors that'd missed last time struck her in the back.

Hairiyu attempted to rise to her feet but was stopped in her tracks as the two Cell Juniors who'd landed on her immediately reached out for her legs. Her arms faltered under the weight of her body, shaking madly. This cost her dearly as before she could fully recover, she was yanked off the ground and over the monster's heads. Hairiyu braced herself as best as she could as she slammed straight into the rocky ground, displacing small fragments of the surface as she struck. Her ankles were pulled again and once again Hairiyu was swung down violently to the floor, dispelling even more dirt with every throw.

The remaining two Cell Juniors decided to join in and grabbed both of her wrists, Hairiyu now held by all four of her limbs, instead now being slammed face-first into the ground below her repeatedly, the tiny fighters chortling in content with every attack delt. Hairiyu choked as once again the entire front part of her torso and limbs was subjected to a fierce beating from the ground. She could feel blood dripping from her nose which she was sure had broken, pain radiating from her ribs which only amplified every time she hit the floor. She couldn't free herself from their grasp; she'd gather ki into her palms and blast her way free if she could have enough time to concentrate but every bit of contact she made with the ground just messed with her concentration and ki channelling abilities!

Suddenly she was tossed high into the air, suddenly free from the Cell Junior quadruplet's grasp. That was going to cost them dearly. Through the agony she managed to squint through one eye; horror struck her as four ki attacks quickly converged in on her -

The world spun as she felt herself be lurched to the side, now in the grasp of someone's strong arm. Then she was suddenly back on the ground and being put onto her feet which she was surprised to find were still willing to support her! Hairiyu glanced to see who'd saved her from the incoming moves and breathed a small sigh of relief, though the sight of her brother was a little pitiful. "Thank you Trunks."

"They got you good, huh?" The Super Saiyan teenager asked rhetorically. "Don't take them all on, I'll distract them as much as I can."

"Cheers, I owe you one big bro!" Hairiyu nodded feeling a little more rejuvenated. Her head snapped back as she sensed five of the Cell Juniors closing in on her and her brother. The two siblings instinctively stepped backwards pushing themselves through the air; three Cell Juniors charged after Hairiyu whilst the other two chased Trunks.

Three she was sure she could hold off. Her body was growing tired and had been worn down by the recent onslaught she'd endured but she wasn't going to give up! Hairiyu drew one hand back and fired off a ki attack straight for her pursuing opponents; all three Cell Juniors avoiding being hit. She stopped herself mid-flight with one strong foot pushing against the ground, charging up her energy into both her hands until both fists were glowing with energy. The Cell Juniors were inches from her before Hairiyu went on the attack, locked in hand-to-hand combat once more only this time with three seperate opponents! The ki in her hands amplified her attacks and finally one successful punch to one Cell Junior's face sent it bolting back into the cliff face, vanishing inside the rocky rubble. The hit seemed to temporarily stun the other two Cell Juniors as they quickly glanced back to check on their brother.

Suddenly there was an explosion of power from behind. Gohan's scream filled the air though it was quickly drowned out by the deafening roar and shockwave, Hairiyu finding herself being pushed forward a couple of uneasy steps. Her attention turned away from her opponents, jaw dropping in shock.

Something was happening.


	67. Chapter 066

**Chapter 066 - Ascension**

The ground violently trembled below her feet as Gohan's energy continued to bolt higher and higher, dwelving further and further into his hidden powers which Hairiyu'd only glimpsed a couple of times in her life. She'd never seen them like this before; it felt wild and violent and yet strong and in control. It was a bizarre thing to sense but it struck fear into her. His hair had altered and now stood firmly upwards, his body surrounded by electrical pulses that flashed around him every-so-often. The boy's scream had caught all of them by surprise and halted the battle against the tiny Cell Junior army, though not for long.

Before she knew it Hairiyu'd been sucker-punched across the jaw, the unsuspecting girl spun and crashed to the floor with a heavy thud. She could taste the irony blood in her mouth and was reminded once more that she was in the midst of a battle to the death. She rose just as her three opponents charged her, suddenly feeling herself being pushed backwards off her feet before being struck into the ground. Before she knew it one Cell Junior was inches above her about to deliver a punch to the face; Hairiyu rolled onto her upper back and sent the little demon shooting up into the air with a double-kick, toppling over her head and landing on both feet, pouncing backwards once again as another attempted to strike her down.

Movement from below seemed to grab the Cell Juniors' - and those who were still conscious - attention as Gohan suddenly was standing beside the fallen Krillin and the Cell Junior responsible for his defeat. Hairiyu spotted the small bag held in the boy's clasp and gasped; when had he managed to grab the senzu beans from Cell?

The Cell Junior jumped out-

Gohan's fist blurred, Hairiyu barely able to follow his speed. The Cell Junior's body seemed to explode from the movement and fell to the ground amidst a blue plume of smoke; the remains of its head splattered and scattered against the immediate rocky terrain. Before she could even comprehend what she'd just seen, the remaining Cell Juniors charged furiously. Gohan was ready.

Blue smoke and dismembered body parts flew everywhere as one by one, Gohan dealt a single blow to each of the miniature fighters. The attacks were so powerful; his moves cut through the Cell Juniors as if their bodies were made of paper saturated with water. His moves were fast but it felt as if time had slowed down; each Cell Junior was sliced in two before erupting into a cloud of blue. The Cell Juniors didn't give in without a fight, several of them started to fire off signature attacks from those whose Cells had contributed to them, such as Piccolo's Makankosappo and Tenshinhan's Kikoho, even Goku's Kamehameha! Still Gohan emerged unscathed and charged, destroying each Cell Junior with minimal effort and still with a single attack.

The determination to finish off their opponent soon turned to fear; three Cell Juniors remained. Gohan took the first one out with a kick to the hip, his leg slicing clean through the Cell Junior's body before it erupted in a blue smog. The second which hovered metres from his brother didn't see Gohan coming as the boy struck him clean in the cheek with a punch, decapitating the little fighter before he too exploded in a cloud of dust and debris.

One remained. It looked genuinely scared, something which got to Hairiyu for a bizarre reason. It was empathy. She felt bad for the Cell Junior despite her having to attempt to kill them herself. This was too much a gap in power and Gohan had already proved he was more than a match for him. No, he wasn't going to do it was he?

"Stop..." Hairiyu mumbled, "... that's enough Gohan..."

Gohan flew after the fleeing Cell Junior, cutting it off in a matter of seconds before killing it. Blue smoke drifted over him as his gaze shifted down to those below.

"... Is that really Gohan?" Piccolo stuttered; it was only now Hairiyu realised he was still conscious and on his feet!

"Pass these around!" Gohan's gruff voice ordered as he tossed the senzu beans down to his friends.

It was Trunks who caught them, nodding and giving a quiet "ok" before slowly turning on his heels and heading to those who needed them more first.

Hairiyu continued to watch Gohan as he descended down towards Cell, now getting a better look at him in his new form. It was clear he'd made some sort of transformation past Super Saiyan; the feel of his ki didn't feel like that of a Super Saiyan, yet it wasn't that which scared her. It was his face. The calm and gentle nature of his facial features had been completely wiped out by a stare that was now cold and menacing. Gohan finally touched down landing not too far from the seemingly stunned Cell, who hadn't made a move to even save his little offspring. She couldn't believe it; it almost seemed unreal. The Gohan she knew would never be so cruel and indifferent to life in the way he'd just been with those miniature Cells. Something had happened when he'd transformed and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not.

Trunks had landed beside Krillin and thankfully the short warrior had risen to his feet. Quickly he and Trunks made it back up onto the cliff; Krillin landing not too far from Hairiyu.

"What happened to Gohan? Did you see it?" He asked as Hairiyu walked towards him.

"No... I was busy fighting when he turned into that," Hairiyu shook her head.

"... What's wrong?" Krillin could see the disappointment on her face. "You ok?"

"... Yeah, I'm ok," Hairiyu lied. She wasn't going to worry Krillin about Gohan's change in nature, although it did bother her immensely.

"Hairiyu, take a senzu bean," Trunks appeared, handing out one of the small beans to his sister. Hairiyu did as she was told and ate the small, disgusting bean. She wouldn't complain right now; she knew better and besides these beans were a life-saver right now. Once swallowed and ki restored, her gaze fixed back on Gohan and Cell. It seemed the battle between these two would surely begin.

The ground violently shuddered as Cell began to power up; Hairiyu was shocked the villain still had energy left in his reserves! She was quickly reminded of the foe they were against as his ki shot up to new heights, whipping up strong winds and coating the area in thick clouds of dust. She had to put up her defences, glaring at the android as his power rose higher and higher.

Finally his power levelled out.

_'It's... it's huge!'_ She exclaimed in her mind, too breathless to physically talk out-loud. The shuddering had forced several fighters- including her – to take to the skies and observe from there.

"This is Cell's full power..." Goku muttered.

"I can feel the whole planet trembling!" Krillin growled.

The android muttered something too quiet for them to hear, a confident smile on his face. This vanished for a split second before emerging once more, temporarily overridden by shock.

In an instant Cell had moved and had struck Gohan clean in the face. His moves were a blur to Hairiyu! Gohan hadn't stood a chance dodging that attack... or so she assumed.

Gohan hadn't fallen. This seemed to disgruntle Cell as he drew his hand back to strike again-

A powerful clap of what sounded like thunder echoed throughout the area.

Gohan had a fist lodged deep in the side of Cell's abdomen, the android almost buckling under the blow, eyes bulging from their sockets and jaw gaping wide open. Gohan removed his fist; Cell grabbed the stricken area with both hands almost kneeling down.

Furious he went to attack the boy again. In a blur of movement, Gohan ducked under the oncoming punch and jumped up, striking Cell clean in the jaw with a punch. Cell was sent tumbling head over heels but landed safely on his feet a few metres away. He seemed to be shaky from what Hairiyu could see, whose eyes were wide in amazement. Just two hits, Gohan had only made and landed two hits yet Cell's ki had taken a beating with each one of them! She could just make out the purple line of blood dripping from his jaw.

He'd damaged Cell.

"... This is what you meant when you said Gohan was the only one who could beat Cell... isn't it?" She mumbled, turning around to face Goku.

He looked at her and nodded.

Her gaze turned back to the fight.

Gohan was approaching Cell; the villain seemed to look frustrated. As the boy came inches to meeting him, Cell bellowed out and swung a kick; Gohan blocking it effortlessly with his arm. Again Cell kicked out, kicking out several times more, still Gohan continued to block with the same arm, suddenly grabbing hold of the android's leg. With a yell Gohan swivelled on his foot and tossed out his own kick, striking Cell with such force it sent him flying several metres across the ground.

As Gohan approached the android once again, Hairiyu began to shake. She couldn't believe this was her best friend. Gohan would never have killed those Cell Juniors and now he was going to kill Cell himself... Surely the fact he was capable of taking Cell down and saving the Earth should have been one that made her eager for the fight to end. It didn't feel right this way; the difference between Cell and Gohan's power was gigantic! As much as she'd never say it out loud, Hairiyu felt sympathetic towards Cell.

Cell rose to his feet, now clearly shaken as Gohan stood before him.

With little warning Cell jumped up into the sky, quickly becoming thousands of feet above the ground. Hairiyu raised an eyebrow in confusion. What was he up to?

Cell's ki suddenly increased as a blue light began to glimmer from him.

"Shit! He's gonna fire a Kamehameha from way up there?" Krillin gasped.

Dust began to slowly trail across the ground despite the gigantic distance between Cell and the ground. A blue light began to shine from where he hovered; a characteristic increase in his ki gave away what was happening.

"... That monster!" Goku gasped.

"Yes!" Cell's voice echoed over the surrounding area, "A Kamehameha at full power! Dodge it and the Earth will be pulp – You'll have to take it head-on!"

"N-NO! Don't!" Krillin bellowed. "You can't do this!"

Hairiyu began to shake even harder, gaze fixated on the monstrous blue light above as it grew larger and larger. This was it? This was how the fight was going to end? She wouldn't see her mother, baby brother or grandparents again unless they all made it to Heaven; the entire Earth would be wiped out with just a fraction of this attack's power!

There was nothing she felt she could do. With heavy fists she let her arms hang by her side like weights, staring as the Kamehameha was fired down towards them. The entire area was coated in blue light, brightening as the beam grew closer and closer. The wind violently picked up whipping up dust, the pressure leading some of the mountains to crumble.

It was over.

"KamehameHAAAA!"

Gohan's scream was immediately drowned out by the deafening roar of the wind; his own Kamehameha quickly halted Cell's and drove it back up towards him! Hairiyu's feet finally slipped and she was thrown several metres backwards, tumbling onto her head and rolling onto her front, blasted by hurricane winds and tiny rock fragments. Her whole body stung from the dust striking her, eyes clamped shut and face protected from the oncoming gusts, slowly swallowed up by what she thought was sand...

Through all the confusion she sensed Cell's ki dramatically drop.

Rock fragments rained down onto the dust-coated ground, or at least that's what she thought she could hear dully thumping above her. Realising she needed air and couldn't get any here, Hairiyu pushed up against what felt like thin veil of fine dirt. She was greeted by sunlight, gasping and revelling in the refreshing breeze now passing her face. She'd been coated in dust from the looks of it and quite a bit at that!

Glancing around, she spotted her father break free from the sandy tomb just a little ways ahead of her; the others slowly popping up one by one around her.

"Is everyone ok?" Krillin asked loudly.

"I'm alright," Hairiyu replied, although she was the only one to answer! Her attention quickly focused on Gohan and Cell; Gohan was quite a distance ahead of them and had his back turned; Cell was high up in the sky... Judging from his silhouette he'd taken far more than just damage to his energy. One leg was missing completely, the other cut off mid-shin; one arm had been completely blown away and the strange points on his head looked shorter.

Indeed Gohan's attack had not only been able to overcome his yet had also dealt the android heavy damage.

Cell had been unwise to awaken Gohan's hidden powers and now he was paying for it.

Hairiyu rose to her feet and took her place among the others, watching closely. Gohan hadn't made any effort to move at all; Hairiyu couldn't figure out what he was doing...

"Gohan!" Goku yelled. "What are you doing? Finish Cell off!"

Gohan looked over his shoulder, "Already?" For a moment he seemed to mull it over, "... Sorry dad, he deserves to suffer more for what he's done!"

Hairiyu's jaw dropped slightly and her heart sank. That was something she never expected to hear from his mouth. Whoever this boy was before her, it definitely wasn't the Gohan she knew... _'Listen to your dad... Finish Cell off and end this!'_

"Wh... What did he say?" Goku seemed just as surprised.

"What's gotten into him?" Piccolo growled. "Goku he doesn't have much time! Cell will regenerate – remember he has my cells inside of him!"

"Gohan! You're the only one who can finish him!" Goku bellowed trying once again to sway his son. "Do it now! We don't know what Cell will do if he gets desperate!"

"Listen to him Gohan!" Hairiyu cried, unable to keep herself quiet and watch Gohan make a fool of himself. "You're easily stronger than him! I know you don't really want him to suffer – you're not like that!"

Gohan just stared at them, a foreign but smug smirk on his face; their words were wasted on him.

A drop in Cell's ki grasped her attention and she looked up; Cell's missing limbs suddenly popped back into place as he regenerated himself. Mentally she cursed Gohan and glared up, now wearing a face of discontent and nerves.

With a loud and inaudible bellow Cell's power sharply bolted up as his body suddenly bulked up, growing three-times in muscle-mass and twice in height. In a second he shot down towards the ground, feet landing with a large thump, ground cracking at the sheer weight.

"I'll never lose to a thing like you!" Cell bellowed in a gurgling voice, sounding different from before most likely due to the pressure on his voice-box and throat. He lunged and attacked; the force of his swinging fist was so strong Hairiyu felt the breeze push her fringe up from several metres away! Gohan easily dodged any attack Cell threw, out-manoeuvring Cell at every turn! Cell looked like a bulky mass of muscle, struggling to lug himself around.

"Cell transformed to maximise power and lost his speed!" Trunks gasped. "It's the same mistake he mocked me for – He's blinded by rage!"

That didn't sit too well in Hairiyu's stomach; now every second felt as if it were counting down to Cell's desperate move. The only question was what would he do? Why wouldn't Gohan just end it? He was supposed to be saving the world, not making the potential destroyer of the planet desperate through toying with him!

One tremendous and on-target kick from Gohan connected with Cell's face, knocking him a couple of steps to the side.

Cell's body started behaving strangely much to everyone's confusion and concern. Something was happening. Cell fell to one knee, then the other. His body began to shudder as he leaned over, head shooting up suddenly as his chest began to pulsate. A look of dread and anticipation came over Hairiyu's face; was he going to do what she thought?

Dribble – or what she hoped was dribble – fell from his mouth, something pushing its way up his throat. With one violent movement Cell was heavily sick, a large and sickening lump falling out from his mouth, crashing to the ground with a large slap.

Hairiyu's gasp was drowned out by Yamcha's speech, "What's that?"

She couldn't believe it!

"It's Android Eighteen!" Krillin cried startled. "Cell vomited Eighteen!"

It wasn't over yet. Cell's ki began to drastically fall as his body began to morph through garbled screams and groans from the android. The patterns on him began to change, his tail suddenly shot back out as he grew taller. Suddenly standing before them was Cell looking a lot more bug-like and fish-lipped! Confusion quickly grapsed Hairiyu; she'd never seen him look this way before!

"He turned back to his second form! He's not complete anymore!" Trunks gasped.

Hairiyu stared speechless and wide-eyed. This was the only form of Cell that she hadn't seen... She could tell just from the feel of his energy that even she could easily beat him!

Gohan had utterly beaten Cell hands-down.


	68. Chapter 067

**Chapter 067 - Goku's Sacrifice**

The wind blew briefly as a strong gust flowed over the dusty ground of the wasteland, the ground battered, cracked and trampled under the immense pressure the battle had delt it. The fight had taken a turn for the worst for Cell who had now come to realise the power he was up against, the power he himself had been so eager to antagonise and awaken. He should have heeded Gohan's warnings but perhaps it was the Saiyan genes mixed in with the DNA of Freeza that had given him his assuredness that Gohan would be of no threat to his power but would provide a challenge. He had been right in thinking he'd prove to be a challenge; the boy clearly outmatched him at every turn. A couple of punches and kicks had caused damage Cell never imagined he'd suffer, especially from a Saiyan child such as him! It had been so much Eighteen had somehow been forced from his body and now lay in a wet puddle of spit and vomit underneath the towering android.

The now regressed Cell stared at Gohan, eyes wide and bloodshot. The young boy before him looked just as deadly and serious as ever, unimpressed by his opponent's regression or about the emergence of the female android. "... I guess that's it for you then," he muttered wryly.

Nearby a sceptical and anxious Hairiyu swallowed the lump threatening to suffocate her, still shocked by Eighteen's appearance but still coming to terms with Gohan's attitude change. He was no longer his normal self, replaced by some sort of bitter, cruel and overconfident boy. What would Gohan do now; would he continue to toy around with Cell and endanger the planet or would he finally put an end to this? Hairiyu feared the former was more likely and for good reason.

Fear had clearly gripped Cell now, his body trembling slightly from the transformation but the onlookers were aware he'd been doing so since he'd realised just how tough Gohan was. "... I won't... accept this!" Cell snarled defiantly. His body suddenly began to bulge again only this time it wasn't because of muscle.

Stunned and baffled, a confused Hairiyu watched alongside the others as Cell's body began to inflate like a balloon, quickly towering over Gohan, twice as big, then three times as big... four times as big...

_'What's he doing?'_ Hairiyu was clueless, although she didn't like the feel of how wildly Cell's ki was fluctuating!

"What's Cell doing?" Yamcha babbled flabbergasted.

"No - he can't!" Goku gasped.

A peculiar smile had appeared on Cell's fattened face as his bulging eyes peered down at Gohan.

"Everybody say goodbye! I'm going to self-destruct in sixty seconds! I'll die but so will all of you! The whole Earth will die along with me!"

"What?" Gohan gasped; for the first time he lost his cold expression, seemingly more human for a brief moment.

"S-Self-destruct?" Vegeta repeated.

"It's too late to apologise and grovel! Even I can't stop it now!" Cell jeered, body still inflating.

Hairiyu stared horrified at what she'd heard. Fear of dying quickly gripped her once again; this time she knew no matter what Gohan did it wouldn't be of any use. Cell was serious. Sure when Cell had fired that Kamehameha, Gohan was able to retaliate back with one of his own. How was he possibly supposed to stop this?

"No! I won't let you!" Gohan growled, readying himself to attack-

"Stop!" Cell was quick off the mark. "I wouldn't do that if I were you! I'll explode the instant I'm hit! You'll still die but just a little sooner!"

It was hopeless. Even Gohan knew this now, finally standing down in defeat. The boy muttered something under his breath and fell to his knees, slamming his fists down hard on the ground in frustration and regret.

"Thirty more seconds..." Cell announced with a cackle of laughter. The breeze from earlier slowly picked up with every passing second though it was not strong enough to knock any of the fighters from their feet. It felt hot like a furnace as it brushed past Hairiyu's cheek, energy radiating from Cell's body, his ki becoming ever more unstable and volatile.

"N-Now what? We have to do something!" Yamcha cried. "There has to be a way!"

"There's nothing we can do; Cell's beaten us even if it cost him his life!" Piccolo growled, "The Earth is finished!"

"N... No..." Hairiyu muttered, not wanting to believe it. She had no choice; whether she wanted to believe it or not the Earth was about to be obliterated. Her mother, brother and grandparents would die, all the innocent lives on the planet would be ended because no one was able to stop this manic from self-destructing. She clenched her fists in frustration and anxiety, glaring at the boy before her who'd resigned to slamming his fists down on the ground and crouching on his knees. Her angst quickly turned on him. He was supposed to have been the one to defeat Cell and he could have easily done so at any time. He toyed with his opponent as if it were a game, forgetting the Earth's destiny depended on them. He'd let Cell turn the tables on them.

Gohan had doomed them all... and Hairiyu couldn't believe he'd been capable of such a thing. This was not the Gohan she knew.

Ten more seconds...

"... What is it, Goku?"

Krillin's voice made Hairiyu take her attention away from Gohan and over to Goku; a little taken back when she saw the light but sad smile on his face which then left her feeling puzzled.

"... I've been thinking..." Goku smiled, "... and I can't come up with any other way to save the Earth..."

"What?" Several of the fighters gaped almost in unison.

"No, don't," Trunks spoke out, "I think I know what you have planned Goku. You don't have to do this!"

Goku raised both hands; one to his forehead and the other with a light wave.

"Bye guys."

"... You're kidding, right Goku?" Krillin choked.

Hairiyu'd cottoned onto what Goku was planning; before she could even say anything to try and stop him from doing anything, Goku had vanished and had teleported between Gohan and Cell, muttering something to Gohan. He turned to his son briefly and gave a half-wink before turning back to face a nervous Cell.

In a flash, he and Cell vanished.

"NO, COME BACK!" Gohan cried dashing to his feet.

"GOKU!" Krillin screamed.

Hairiyu desperately latched onto Goku's ki, finding it for a split second before it suddenly vanished. It was no where on Earth, he had transported Cell to somewhere far, far away before Hairiyu could no longer try to work out his location. Where his bright burning ki had once been was now nothing, a void of emptiness. For a couple of seconds Hairiyu attempted to find Goku's ki, desperate to find any trace of it. Quickly her frantic searches came to a stop as the fact slowly sank under her skin, quieting down the voice that demanded she find his energy.

Goku was gone.

The wind had died down considerably since the two warriors had vanished, now a light breeze picked up every-so-often dragging dust across the barren wasteland. Silence had gripped those standing upon the dusty rocks as everyone came to terms and began to grieve for their lost friend and comrade.

Hairiyu stared at the same spot where Cell and Goku had once been; now all that was left was a small crater from where Cell's large and heavy body must have been pushing down against the ground. A shaking Gohan kneeled on knees and elbows just before it.

She didn't know what to feel. Cell was gone, he was finally gone... but so was Goku. Her mentor – the man who'd happily taken her into the Room of Spirit and Time, the man who'd believed in her abilities as a fighter, the man who'd helped her become who she was now – was dead. Her eyes began to sting and grow hot, the tears forming and turning her vision blurry as she continued to watch Gohan; the young boy suddenly reared up and screamed for his father, sobbing as he slowly fell back down. Her heart was torn; the anger and fury she'd felt towards him for not finishing Cell off vanished, now replaced with empathy and sorrow. He'd just lost his father... but he'd just lost his father because he hadn't done what he was supposed to have done. He hadn't finished off Cell and had instead played around, letting the android grow desperate and put them all into a corner. His father had come to the rescue and sacrificed his own life.

The guilt Gohan must have been feeling... the regret... and the grief...

Without much more thought her feet began to move, breaking into a trot towards him. Once she reached him she simply stood by him looking down, unsure of what to do. She didn't like seeing people upset and had always felt a need to try and make them feel better. She didn't know what to do right now; what could she say to him?

A hand reached out and rested on Gohan's back; it wasn't hers.

Krillin had come over.

"It's over... You and Goku did it together..." he mumbled gently.

"... It's my fault." Gohan sniffed through muffled hiccups and hisses. "I could have killed Cell... Dad didn't have to sacrifice himself... I got too arrogant... It's because of me!"

"You didn't know he was gonna blow up the Earth," Hairiyu frowned, "you're not to blame Gohan..."

"... Look... If it wasn't for you then the Earth wouldn't have been saved," Krillin replied softly. "In the end, Goku was content... He was really proud of you..." He rose to his feet and put both his hands on Gohan's shoulders, "Come on, let's go home."

Gently he and Hairiyu helped Gohan to his feet, Hairiyu looking at the sniffling boy as he rubbed his eyes with his arm, unsure of what else to do. She was quickly left to support Gohan by herself as Krillin rushed off ahead towards Android Eighteen; for a moment Hairiyu looked at the regurgitated fighter. She wondered if she was still alive, what had it been like to have been absorbed by such a monster as Cell... She felt empathy for the android despite what she'd done. She'd badly wounded her father and had attacked Hairiyu after all... Yet being taken by force in the way Hairiyu assumed she and Seventeen had been... She couldn't help but feel compassionate; it must have been a terrifying ordeal...

"... Father..."

Gohan's small mumble brought Hairiyu's attention back to him; she looked at him in concern. "... I'm really sorry Gohan..." she mumbled. "... Let's head over to the others and then go home, ok?"

She stepped forwards.

A sudden, strong gust almost knocked her head over heels. She and Gohan both were pushed forwards buffeted by the winds which were now forcing them to walk further ahead and back to their group of friends, many of whom had been preparing to leave the area. She could barely glance backwards, eyes unable to stand the sudden stinging, watering at the edges and almost blurring her vision.

Something was brewing behind them; a powerful force.

She couldn't hear any voices if anyone was speaking; the energy she felt terrified her. Dust billowed from just behind them; electricity dancing through the charged air as something appeared. Something had emerged with a ki that seemed very familiar to her and yet it was unlike anything she'd ever sensed before!

_'It can't be!'_ She denied horrified.

A flash of yellow light shot past her in an instant, almost too fast for her to register.  
Her eyes followed it, head turned against the wind as her vision was almost compromised by her wildly dancing hair.

Trunks was struck; the yellow beam of light pierced straight through him like a knife in butter.

It felt as if her own heart had stopped. Hairiyu's wide eyes stared, fixated on her brother as the force of the hit pushed him off his feet and onto his back. Her breath hitched in her throat; she would have screamed otherwise but instead her jaw was left gaping open.

Trunks crashed to the ground with a heavy thump.

Hairiyu's eyes stayed pinned to the young man.

"... Who did I hit? ... Ah, Trunks..."

Indeed that was his voice. Cell.

Hairiyu turned to face the monster, fear and disbelief written all over her face. He was alive. He was alive? He was standing before them. He hadn't died; why hadn't he died? Self-destructing was supposed to have killed him; even he'd said that! Goku was nowhere to be found; he hadn't teleported Cell here. How had Cell returned? How had he suddenly regained his final transformation without Android Eighteen?

Cell chuckled as he stared down the startled fighters before him, "... You seem surprised to see me..." He went into how he survived the explosion. It was part of his design; as long as there was one cell which still remained, he could regenerate. He'd grown stronger because of his Saiyan genetics and his near-death experience. His cells had tasted perfection; he'd regenerated into his final form despite Android Eighteen's absence. He'd absorbed Goku's Instant Transmission technique and had teleported back to Earth...

He'd killed Trunks.

"... Goku didn't beat me – He only made me stronger!" Cell spat with a smirk.

_'... Stronger?'_ Hairiyu shivered, eyes still wide and heart still pounding from the shock.

She was almost caught off-guard as Gohan released himself from her grasp. With a sudden bellow he revved up his energy preparing to stand off against Cell once more. Hairiyu glanced over to him briefly before turning to her brother. Absent-mindedly she left Gohan and Cell and wandered over to him, stopping at his side. Her nose wrinkled in fear and concern; Trunks was still moving, or at least his muscles were. He was still alive. That meant he was in pain; the wound from Cell's beam had blasted straight through his chest and was bleeding heavily.

He began to move a little more as if trying to sit up, suddenly violently jerking upwards and throwing up a bucket load of blood to the other side. Hairiyu stared at the crimson puddle. Her brain wasn't registering what else was going on around her. Her brother's ki flickered and faded before her eyes; she watched him as his body gave into the wound and died.

Trunks was gone.

For what felt like forever she stood trembling, unaware of Gohan challenging Cell to battle. All she could see was her brother dead and sprawled across the ground. Her eyes stung with the heat as they watered, overflowed and leaked. The same old thought came to her mind.

She'd let someone else die.

The bolt forwards from her father almost went unnoticed along with the howling yell. It was only until the first attack struck Cell that she registered her father's attack, gasping when she saw what was going on. Her father charged up his energy and rapidly fired powerful energy blasts down to where she assumed Cell was standing. It was hard to tell because the spot was now engulfed in a thick plume of dirt and smoke. Her father's ki was draining fast with every attack; each blast directly on target as the enraged prince attacked like a madman.

_'... What's he doing? ... Is... is he... attacking... because of Trunks? ... Is my dad actually defending one of us?'_

The mere thought set her off further; her silent weeping turned into slightly noisier hiccups. Even if it wasn't true, the potential possibility that her dad – her dad of all people – was attacking because one of his kids had been murdered was incredible.

Vegeta's attacks stopped for a short period of time before resuming; the ground trembling under every precise and compacted attack as it struck, coating the impact zone in thick clouds of dirt, dust and debris. Quickly fatigue overcame him; Vegeta's attack came to a halt.

Nothing could be seen through the dust; it wasn't clear whether Cell was injured or still alive...

"That nut! What's he thinking?" Krillin growled not too far in front of her.

Hairiyu's eyes stayed peeled on the centre of the pale brown cloud, still leaking though her hiccups had quietened down somewhat. Her brain just felt frazzled with the amount of horrible information she'd had to absorb in the past fifteen minutes. Would Cell be alive or dead?

To their horror Cell emerged through the smoke unscathed and drawing one arm back. He was already inches from her father. Suddenly Vegeta was slapped down to the ground with a swipe, tumbling and crashing to the ground with a heavy thud, disturbing some loose dust and dirt. From where they stood Hairiyu could see him twitching as he lay crippled on the ground. Panic gripped her and her heart was already thumping from her brother's death but she couldn't find the energy to move.

"Vegeta –DIE!" Cell bellowed, tossing down a dangerously compact energy beam towards the vulnerable fighter.

Before her brain registered she needed to move Gohan shot forwards; his speed clearly superior to hers yet even so it wasn't enough. He'd just made it to Vegeta's side before the blast made contact, the two warriors suddenly vanished in a blinding flash of light, engulfed by smoke from the exploding attack.

The wind was terrifyingly strong and grains of dirt stung her body as it hit, yet Hairiyu desperately tried to see through it all. Her emotions were on a high, her brain felt so frazzled she couldn't sense anyone around her, barely able to stand as the wind knocked her back, Hairiyu falling to her knees. In the frenzy she grabbed onto Trunks' hand and tried to keep him close to her.

"Where are they?" Krillin cried as the commotion died down. "Can anyone see them?"

Through the clearing dust Hairiyu's eyes fell on two figures; both flat on the ground. Her eyes widened in fear; neither were moving and both seemed severely weakened from the attack! She wanted to run to them; she wanted to scream. Did this mean two more of them were down? Had Cell just taken out four of their five Super Saiyans? She was the only one left! Goku's death was in vain, Trunks had been murdered, now Gohan had sacrificed himself to save her injured father.

What was she doing?

"Gohan!" Piccolo roared.

In the corner of her eye she saw Gohan slowly moving, rising to his feet. His arm was at an unusual angle; on closer inspection it was heavily bleeding at his shoulder and looked out of place. His ki had been severely weakened by the attack, nowhere near how high it had been before Cell had attempted to kill her father.

"He's hurt!" Krillin realised. "Vegeta that idiot...! The Dragonballs could have brought Trunks back to life!"

Trunks... She checked and looked down; he was still there lifeless and pale...

Oblivious once more as to what was going on around her as thoughts dashed through her mind, she rose to her feet. She felt a mess inside; emotion swirling through her body, emotion directed towards her loved ones and emotion directed towards the monster who'd taken them away... She'd done nothing. She hadn't stopped Goku, she hadn't stepped in to save Trunks, she hadn't tried to stop her father, and she hadn't been fast enough to help Gohan. All that training and still she couldn't save anyone. She hadn't changed. She'd let them down.

She needed more strength.

Cell landed a couple hundred metres from Gohan and Vegeta seemingly pleased with the outcome of his latest attack.

She needed to stop this before someone else needlessly died. She needed to stop being scared and step forwards.

Something felt as if it was going to erupt inside her.

Hairiyu's body trembled, eyes wide and pinned on her dead brother. Her rage and fury for Cell collided with her hatred for herself and in a sudden wave of overwhelming emotion she screamed, her ki violently surging through her. The sudden noise had startled and surprised many of those around her as they turned in shock. In a single moment the ground below her feet broke and floated skybound as her hair bolted even higher above her head, her ki swelled to higher levels, her small muscles growing a little more prominent.

In the instant it had consumed her, it was gone again.

Hairiyu collapsed onto her knees gasping desperately for air, back down to her Super Saiyan form and looking exhausted. Tears streamed down her eyes, emotions running high inside of her. Trunks was gone, Goku was gone, her father and Gohan were both injured and there was little she could muster as of this moment.

They were all going to die by Cell's hand and she hated it.

"... Did... Did I just see that...?" Krillin spluttered eyes wide with disbelief as he looked down at the exhausted girl, leaning close to the ground exasperated and drained. "Did you just... just do what Gohan did?"

His words may have well have been asked to a brick wall; Hairiyu was too tired and dizzy to hear straight. Her head felt heavy, slowly she shifted her body weight between arms; both of which shook under the strain. All her muscles ached, her emotions were running wild inside of her. She felt like a total mess and didn't know what to do.

"... Don't we have any more senzu beans?" Piccolo's loud bark rushed through her consciousness.

She glanced forwards; Gohan was on his feet staring Cell down. Her eyes crossed to the monster; widening when she recognised the stance he was in.

The Kamehameha.

Cell was about to fire a Kamehameha!


	69. Chapter 068

**Chapter 068 - Finish With a Kamehameha!**

"You will die – along with the Earth!" Cell bellowed triumphantly. He stood before a tired and worn-down Gohan who was currently shielding a wounded Vegeta from Cell. The wind whistled loudly through the area as it swept past the few rocky pillars that still stood despite the force they were under. The entire area was slowly lit up with a tint of blue as Cell continued to power up his Kamehameha.

Everyone seemed to have resigned themselves to fate; Hairiyu included. Even Gohan, the boy who'd dominated Cell was conceding defeat. Their last hope was throwing in the towel, either too tired to continue or just too aware of the difference in power now between them.

Exhausted from her outburst just seconds ago, Hairiyu stumbled onto shaky legs determined to stay standing and face her death head-on. She could see her father has risen slightly leaning on his elbows; he seemed remorseful; Gohan quickly glanced over at him looking shocked before turning around to Cell...

"Damn it... DAMN IT!" Piccolo roared loudly clenching his fists. "Damn our powerlessness!"

Cell laughed maliciously as he continued to charge up his Kamehameha, "I have enough power to blow away the entire solar system! Come on Son Gohan, make your last stand!"

Gohan didn't make a move; he stood sombre and crushed waiting to accept his fate – and the whole Earth's fate.

_'It can't end like this... Goku said Gohan would win!'_ Hairiyu clenched her eyes shut in denial any of this was truly happening. Battles weren't supposed to end with the bad guy succeeding in wiping out all of the good guys! _'We need to wish Goku and Trunks back to life! Gohan you have to try – you're the best chance we've got right now!'_

Her eyes opened, double-taking and baffled to see Gohan frantically looking around, his shouts not audible but heard as muffled mumbles. Confusion crossed her; what was he doing?

She became even more surprised to see Gohan's facial expression change. It was as if a fire had suddenly lit itself inside of him providing him with strength and courage.

He drew back his only working arm.

"Ka... Me..."

_'He's finally going for it...'_ Hairiyu felt a slight amount of relief to see he had resolved to fight to the end. However she knew he'd need far more power if he was to stand up against Cell.

"... He can't win... Gohan's ki is too weak!" Piccolo gaped apprehensively.

"Ha... Me..."

_'Come on Gohan!'_ Hairiyu took a deep gulp.

"DIE!"

Cell fired off his Kamehameha.

"HAAA!" Gohan thrust forward his one working arm just as Cell released his own Kamehameha. Blue energy shot towards each other at rapid pace yet for the briefest of moments it felt as if it took forever for both attacks to meet midway.

"W-We're too close! Everyone get back!" Piccolo bellowed frantically.

Yamcha and Tenshinhan grabbed Trunks; Krillin held onto Eighteen. Hairiyu glanced over towards her father debating whether to get him or not-

The beams collided, pushing everyone off their feet as the shockwave caught them, Hairiyu sent tumbling head-over-heels caught in mid-air. Through the strong gusts of wind and powerful shockwaves, she could make out Piccolo's arm inches from her face clutching onto her own arm and breathed a sigh of relief, anxious to see Gohan and Cell's battle.

The group landed nearby on an outcrop of rock; it was safe to watch from here. Hairiyu fell onto her behind as Piccolo harshly dropped her to the ground without a word. Quickly she rose to her feet without complaining and watched eagerly and anxiously; Gohan's attack was definitely weaker than Cell's.

"He can't do it! Gohan's being overpowered by Cell! He's lost too much energy!" Piccolo grumbled.

From the side of the battle Hairiyu spotted her father suddenly take off for cover, landing on an outcrop slightly closer to the battle. With little warning she revved up what energy she still had and took off amidst Krillin and Piccolo's protests, fighting against the wind to make any sort of ground and land where she was aiming for. She wasn't going towards Cell like they seemed to have assumed; she had to make sure her dad was alright! Feet quickly landed and she almost bounced over to him, "Dad! Are you alright?"

Vegeta didn't answer her, not that she expected one really. He seemed to be his usual self so she took that as a good enough indication he was ok, albeit he was holding his side a little. Her eyes went back to Gohan. His Kamehameha was now tiny in comparison to Cell's attack, barely holding it back!

Something dashed behind Cell; seconds later a yellow attack struck Cell from behind!

"That was a Masenko!" Hairiyu gasped trying to see who it was and gauging their ki. It was Piccolo! Hairiyu quickly grew fearful for her former mentor's well-being. "Piccolo!"

Cell's ki flare suddenly started shooting backwards, quickly knocking Piccolo from the sky!

Hairiyu went to rush forwards but a strong hand grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Stay here idiot! What use would you be?" Vegeta bellowed. "Let Piccolo do this alone!"

Hairiyu glared angrily at her father, "Do it alone? I'll bet Piccolo's doing this to help Gohan! I'm not gonna stand here when I could be helping out as well!"

"Listen to me; you may be a Super Saiyan kid and you may even be stronger than most of the fighters here but you are not capable of distracting Cell with your current power!" Vegeta snapped. "Stay put and wait!"

Begrudgingly Hairiyu stayed on the spot and turned back to observe; Piccolo was slowly rising to his feet powering up another attack in one of his hands. To her right she sensed movement; Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Krillin dashed past them and joined Piccolo's side as he fired off his Makankosappo.

"Foolish idiots... it's not like they'll make a difference!" Vegeta muttered.

Hairiyu looked back at him, "... I don't understand how you can just stand here and let people weaker than you at least try to save the Earth. Whatever happened to you being the greatest and strongest Saiyan warrior? Are you just gonna stand there and let Cell beat us?"

"... He already has," Vegeta growled sounding slightly irked. "Those Earthlings and the Namek can try all they want; they won't make any difference to what Cell will achieve... Not even Gohan can beat him in his current state."

Hairiyu frowned and looked back quickly to the others; Cell had once again blown them back to the wayside and Gohan was still struggling on the other end of the beam struggle. It was a pitiful sight she had to admit but she admired them all for their bravery and courage.

"... Sometimes it's not about standing still and accepting fate..." She mumbled. "Sometimes you've gotta fight fate... That was something Goku taught me." Hairiyu turned and looked at her dad. "I don't care how little difference any of us make; I'd rather go down swinging than to just stand here and let it happen; I won't be that girl anymore! Stay here if you want but I'm going to help my friends!"

With that she took to the skies, taking her place above Cell. One hand rose above her head; Hairiyu watched and gathered energy as Tenshinhan and the others sent out their attacks, striking Cell at several angles.

It was still not enough.

_'I don't know if this will help but I've gotta try!'_ With a bellow Hairiyu threw down her arm firing off an energy beam and striking Cell from above. She could feel it making contact but judging by his energy it wasn't having much success! This didn't deter her, she had to somehow help the others.

Cell's ki suddenly began to emit outwards as he fired off a kiai (or an invisible force of ki), the others falling to the ground and Hairiyu tumbling further into the sky as the force struck them. She came to a stop regaining control mid-air. Her arms stung from the strike and her gi had been ripped up slightly.

Gohan's power had somehow increased; his Kamehameha was slowly beginning to overpower Cell's beam.

Quickly Cell levelled it out.

From her place high in the sky Hairiyu grew frustrated, arms now trembling at the loss of energy. No matter what they tried to do Cell wasn't crippling in the slightest. Gohan would pour more energy out but Cell would top it.

No, she wouldn't give up. There was too much riding on this. Too many people were counting on them. Gohan was struggling to face Cell alone and she wouldn't let him fight alone! At the end of the day Goku'd sacrificed his life for everyone; it wasn't right Gohan would have to do the same, he was still a kid! He was her best friend; they'd both been through a lot together. Hairiyu recalled all the adventures they'd been on, the battles against the Saiyans and Freeza, how they'd had to work together in order to survive when Piccolo kidnapped them.

_'I'm not gonna let you fight this thing alone!'_

With her mind rejuvenated she held both hands by her sides, charging whatever energy she had left into this one attack; her signature move. Blue energy began to swirl and form into orbs as she charged up her Kentoka Flash. If this move wouldn't succeed them there was nothing more she could offer.

Cell's Kamehameha suddenly became stronger once again; Gohan starting to slip backwards. Behind Cell, Tenshinhan, Yamcha, Piccolo and Krillin had been blown back from Cell's kiai once more. One-by-one the worn-down warriors rose to their feet in defiance and continued to assault Cell. When two were pushed back, the other two rose to take their fallen comrade's place.

She had to focus but with the sudden time problems and Gohan's weakening defence, she wasn't sure it was wise to wait!

It was now or never!

"Not yet!"

A figure appeared to the side of her. Hairiyu glanced over and gasped surprised. "Dad!" She spluttered genuinely surprised to see him hovering beside her.

"Just keep charging that up!" Vegeta barked, extending one hand and supporting it with the other. His ki revved up rapidly as his energy began to form in his hand, hand aimed straight for Cell. Hairiyu followed suite and continued to gather energy, taking whatever she had left in reserve.

Gohan was still slipping; Cell's Kamehameha almost cancelling his out. The android's overpowering Kamehameha beam slowly pushed Gohan backwards across the ground, his beam now towering over the Saiyan's weakening attack which desperately struggled to keep the more powerful beam at bay.

"Now!" Vegeta yelled.

With a bellow Hairiyu slammed her cupped wrists together and fired her Kentoka Flash, joining with her father's attack to form one giant energy ball. It struck the android, finally an attack had struck and crippled him with its force.

Through her dizziness she thought she saw Cell look up towards them, her heart lurching in her chest as it occured to her not even the power of her and her father combined had done much to hurt Cell.

Then Gohan screamed.

The Kamehameha burst free as he released his energy, quickly overcoming Cell's attack. The wind, light and heat from the beams were overwhelming and Hairiyu suddenly felt herself falling through the air... As quickly as she'd become aware of her movement she was grabbed by something and left to hang in the air. She looked down through blurry eyes to see Cell vanish into the blue light of energy, watching as the beam shot off into space...

-

The wind had cooled and now rushed through her hair, a slight chill against her skin. She realised she still hung in the air, consciousness coming back. It was now she noticed the wisps of her fringe brushing her forehead were dark again, her ki almost drained to the point she couldn't even fly. It didn't stop her from trying though.

Hairiyu attempted to float, finding it tougher than she thought especially when Vegeta released her from his grasp! She almost fell, flight movements spontaneous and erratic. She spotted Gohan laying on his back inches from the gigantic crater the beams had caused and aimed for that spot, falling closer and closer to the ground. Her landing was neither graceful nor gave the impression she'd been doing this for years. Heavy feet slammed and buckled under her own weight and Hairiyu fell forwards onto her face, striking her nose hard on the ground. The sharp, intense sensation made her eyes water but she couldn't move, not even to hold onto her sore nose! Her body wouldn't respond anymore and it took most of her concentration just to make sure she was breathing enough oxygen for her body to cope with!

A strong arm wrapped itself around her stomach and pulled her from the ground, Hairiyu bent over and staring at the upside-down world around her. She could make out the others behind them were crowded around Gohan, Yamcha picked him up in his arms and held the tired boy as he passed out. She knew Gohan would be ok, a feebly weak smile coming to her face.

The blood was now getting to her brain.

"I'll lend you a hand, Vegeta," Piccolo's deep voice confirmed her suspicions; he was the one holding her.

"Mind your own business, just go!" Vegeta's voice came from a little far off. "I don't need any help; clearly the brat needs more assistance!"

"... You're right."

At this point Hairiyu felt her head beginning to spin. Before she knew it she'd blacked out...

-

Blurry shapes quickly turned into figures; Dende, Krillin and Gohan stood over her. Hairiyu blinked in confusion before realising what had happened. She quickly sat up and looked around; they were at the lookout.

"Dende fixed you right up kid," Krillin smiled.

"... Did we fight Cell or was I imagining it?" Hairiyu asked nervously, frown coming to her face when her eyes fell on her brother who was a couple of metres away. He lay on his back and looked as lifeless as before.

"We fought him," Krillin answered, "and as you may recall, Gohan kicked Cell's butt!"

"Do you feel any better now?" Dende asked.

"Yeah, a lot better thanks to you, Dende," Hairiyu nodded with a smile.

"Awesome, now Dende could you heal the other girl over there?" Krillin asked pulling Dende over to one side.

Hairiyu looked over her shoulder to where the two were walking and gasped, "H-Hey! Is that Android Eighteen?"

"Yeah, Krillin brought her here so Dende could heal her, or so he says," Gohan nodded.

"Don't ask! Krillin's gone crazy!" Yamcha grumbled standing from quite a distance away from the android. "Why'd he have to bring her back here? She'll kill us all!"

"Aww relax, she won't kill anyone," Krillin smiled.

Dende knelt down and held his hands out above the android; Hairiyu watching anxiously as he did so, a little unsure of what to expect from the android once she gained consciousness.

In a flash Android Eighteen shot to her feet and glared around surprised and suspicious of those she was surrounded by.

"Dende, you'd better get away or she'll kill you!" Yamcha yelled jitterishly.

"No she won't..." Krillin muttered.

Eighteen seemed baffled and confused although there were signs of distrust in her eyes.

"It's ok, you're at Kami's place," Krillin explained, "Gohan defeated Cell."

"G-Gohan?" Eighteen repeated in shock taking a quick glance over to the pint-sized son of her creator's enemy.

"Yeah, he's incredibly strong!" Yamcha yelled, still not moving an inch closer, "You don't stand a chance!"

"You should thank Krillin," Piccolo butted in, "He stayed by your side after Cell vomited you out."

Hairiyu stared at Krillin, suspicions aroused. She had to admit he did seem preoccupied with staying with Eighteen when Cell had reverted to his second form; she'd thought it was just so Cell wouldn't be able to absorb her again. Maybe she'd overlooked something...

"Well I couldn't just leave you there!" Krillin blushed flabbergasted.

A smile appeared on Hairiyu's face; so that was it.

"I get it!" Gohan gasped, "Krillin, you've got a crush on her!"

Hairiyu glared and slapped Gohan around the head alongside Krillin!

"Don't broadcast it!" Krillin grumbled blushing.

"You can't just go announcing things like that Gohan!" Hairiyu added annoyed. "What if Krillin was shy and didn't want her to know?"

"Don't kid yourself," Eighteen snapped interrupting them, "You think you'd have a chance with me?"

With that she took off and disappeared below the lookout.

"Man, what was that all about?" Yamcha clenched his fists, "She's looking to get clobbered with an attitude like that!"

"... Not by you though," Tenshinhan muttered wryly.

"Don't worry Krillin, I still like you," Gohan smiled recovering quickly from his small telling off.

"That's not the same," Hairiyu mumbled.

"... Do me a favour, will you?" Krillin asked beady-eyed. "... Shut up!"

"We've wasted enough time!" Piccolo muttered, "Let's summon Shenron and revive all those innocent people who were killed!"

The Dragonballs were gathered, stored at the lookout for safe-keeping at Goku's suggestion, and the summoning was made. Hairiyu still jumped when the big bolt of bright light shot from the glowing balls. No matter how many times she'd seen this and how much she knew it was going to happen, it still caught her off-guard every time! Shenron soon loomed over them glaring down with his intimidating red eyes.

"You have summoned me, state your first wish!" The dragon's voice boomed loudly making the lookout reverberate gently underneath their feet.

Yamcha stepped forward, "Please bring back to life everyone Cell killed."

Shenron's eyes shone a brighter red signalling the wish had been made.

A small groan from behind caught her attention; Hairiyu's hair whipped around as she stared over to her brother.

"Trunks!"

Trunks was sitting up, almost knocked over as Hairiyu grabbed onto him squeezing him as hard as she could. "You're back! You're really back! I'm so sorry!" She was overjoyed to see her brother alive and well, the memory of his death quickly attempting to override her emotions.

"Wh-What's happening?" Trunks asked, "Hairiyu, not so tight!"

"Sorry," the girl was overcome with emotion, having to wipe a stubborn tear away. "It's over; Gohan beat Cell."

"... Wow... So Goku's plan worked," Trunks looked over to Gohan as he rose to his feet.

"I don't feel Goku's ki," Piccolo muttered, "The wish didn't totally work out in our favour..."

"You may have another wish. State it now!"

"Um... Isn't there any way you could bring Son Goku back to life?" Yamcha asked, desperately grasping at straws. "We need him here!"

"That cannot be," Shenron replied, "Son Goku has died and come back to life before. Ask another wish!"

"So it can't be done?" Tenshinhan frowned.

"There must be another way!" Krillin muttered.

_"Hey guys! Listen!"_

Hairiyu gasped and looked up to the sky, not expecting to see anything of course! That was Goku's voice!

_"I'm talking to you from the afterlife. Just hear me out ok? Look, Bulma once told me that I tend to attract bad guys, I kinda think she's right! The Earth will have a much greater chance at peace if I'm not around. Kaio can see my point too! I'm not being a martyr; they're gonna give me special treatment here because I saved the planet. Plus regular people and bad spirits just like Cell get turned into spirits but because of what I've done, I get to keep my body! I won't age either! Plus I get to meet all the strong martial artists of the past! Kaio says he'll keep me company even though he could have been wished back to life with that wish you've already made._

"I'm really sorry Gohan, tell your mum I'm sorry... but don't wish me back to life. Gohan is far more dependable than I ever was anyway..."

"That's not true! I need you dad!" Gohan frowned in disappointment.

_"No, you're more than capable of taking care of yourself now; you don't need my help... So that's it. We'll meet again when you die! See you later!"_

With that, Goku's voice went.

"... Who else but Goku would be so cheerful about death?" Krillin chuckled.

"What is your second wish?" Shenron demanded growing ever impatient.

"Now what do we wish for?" Hairiyu asked. "Do we need to wish for anything else if we can't bring Goku back?"

"Decide quickly; if we don't then Shenron will vanish," Piccolo muttered.

"... Well my girlfriend's wanted this expensive necklace..." Yamcha suggested.

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow unconvinced; surely they couldn't wish for something as selfish as that?

"... Shenron, could you turn Androids Seventeen and Eighteen back into humans?"

Hairiyu looked at Krillin slightly surprised the man had suggested such a thing. "You wanna turn them back to humans? Why?"

"Alas I cannot; their powers are too great and strange! My own powers cannot affect such creatures against their will!" Shenron declared.

Krillin frowned, "... So that didn't work either."

"Just out of curiosity, why did you say Seventeen?" Yamcha asked, "Isn't he dead?"

"Is he?" Piccolo asked. "Think about it. We just wished back all those killed by Cell. That would include Seventeen."

That made sense, Hairiyu nodded. Still, Krillin was trying to do a lot for these androids or so it seemed.

"... How about this then; could you take the bombs out of Seventeen and Eighteen?" Krillin asked.

"Yes," Shenron replied, "It does not weaken them or change the fundamental nature of their being..." His eyes flashed red. "... There, it is done! The bombs are no more! Fare you well!"

In a terrific flash Shenron burst into a bright light, the seven Dragonballs floating up into the air and shooting off in different directions.

"... It's so pretty when they do that..." Hairiyu mumbled more to herself.

"Krillin, why did you wish for that?" Trunks asked confused. "What's the deal?"

"W-Well I felt kinda bad for them," Krillin replied sheepishly, "Imagine having a bomb inside your body!"

"You're a sweet guy Krillin," Gohan smiled.

"I wonder if the androids know what you've done for them, would they know their bombs are gone?" Hairiyu asked. "I mean, would they have been able to feel them disappear?"

"Who knows," Gohan shrugged his shoulders.

Krillin turned to Yamcha, "Hey man, sorry you couldn't get that necklace for your girlfriend."

Yamcha burst out laughing, "D-Don't worry Krillin! That was a joke! You think I'd ask Shenron for something that stupid?"

"Krillin, I thought you liked Eighteen," Tenshinhan spoke out, "So why did you help Seventeen as well?"

"... Well... Yeah, I did like her," Krillin answered bashfully, "... and I know Seventeen is the perfect guy for her!"

"... If this is what is known as 'love' then I don't understand it!" Piccolo muttered.

"You moron! Seventeen and I are twins!"

Hairiyu spun around startled, baffled to see Android Eighteen had reappeared! She thought she'd flown off; when had she come back... and why?

"Don't get the wrong idea!" Eighteen added angrily, "and don't think I'm grateful you took out my bomb, globehead!" The tall woman turned on her heels, glancing back at the group for a moment with a peculiarly calm but intense look on her face. "... Later."

With that she disappeared below the lookout... again.

Hairiyu wasn't sure what to make of what had just happened! She felt a little bad for Krillin; he seemed to have little to no luck with this android and yet he tried so hard...

"H-Hey! She said later!" Yamcha cried with a grin. "Maybe there's hope!"

"ARE YOU SURE?" Krillin gasped grasping onto Yamcha's shirt!

"I can't be too sure, she's a woman!" Yamcha stuttered, calming down as Krillin released him. "Like I said there might be hope. You're gonna have some competition though; she may be a monster but she's a cute monster!"

"I don't understand it... nor do I wish to..."

Hairiyu giggled at Piccolo's remark.

"... It's hard to feel hopeful about anything without Goku," Krillin sighed with a small smile.

"... I should get going," Tenshinhan muttered. "Chaozu will be worried about me." He turned to the others and smiled. "We probably won't see each other again, so take care."

"You too," Yamcha nodded.

"Say hi to Chaozu for me," Gohan smiled.

"Sure," Tenshinhan nodded. "Trunks, I'm sure you can beat those future androids easily now... but good luck."

"Thank you." Trunks replied confidently.

With that Tenshinhan took off, vanishing below the lookout as he headed towards his home.

"Well I guess we ought to get going too," Yamcha decided.

"When are you going back to the future, Trunks?" Gohan asked.

Hairiyu perked up alerted by Gohan's question. She'd completely forgotten about that.

"Tomorrow, I'm gonna try and get a full night's rest," Trunks answered.

"We'll come to see you off then," Krillin smiled.

Hairiyu became lost in her own thoughts. It hadn't crossed her mind that once the androids and Cell were beaten that Trunks would be leaving them. She knew why he had to leave; he wasn't originally from this time and he needed to save his own time... but she didn't want him to go. Rather, she didn't want to gain an older brother then lose him! Hairiyu anxiously followed the others as they said their goodbyes, almost not answering Dende when he asked if she would come and visit!

The group took to the skies, waving as they passed Korin and Yajirobe on Korin tower.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Gohan called as he and Krillin parted ways with Hairiyu, Yamcha and Trunks.


	70. Chapter 069

**Chapter 069 - Precious Time Spent**

The setting sun's warmth was of little effect compared to the cool air brushing past them as the group of three travelled across the skies headed westbound. The sun was a warm orange as it started to vanish behind the horizon before them.

"My father did what?" Trunks asked in disbelief, his jaw falling rather far from the rest of his face.

"He must have been really angry when Cell killed you," Yamcha spoke with a mixture of awe and disbelief, though he could be certain he was not the only one who'd bared witness to the amazing sight. "He attacked Cell without any thought for his own safety! He put everything he had into it!"

Trunks turned to face the setting sun ahead and smiled to himself, "... Dad did that... for me?"

"Guess so," Yamcha nodded. "Little miss Super Saiyan did something pretty wild of her own too! Her power just skyrocketed up for a second before dropping back down! I'm not sure what it was but it was wild!"

"It did? What were you doing then?" Trunks looked over to his sister, noticing the absent look on her face. Hairiyu didn't respond, she didn't even seem to have heard the two men's conversation turning to her! This was unusual in itself; Trunks knew from experience with his older sister (the Hairiyu from his timeline) that any mention of her name or person would instantly grab her attention. She had to be pretty swamped inside her own thoughts to have not heard them. Something was troubling her.

"Hey listen, this is where we part," Yamcha butted in. "I'll see you two tomorrow!" With that he parted ways with the two demi-Saiyans.

Trunks slowed down a little; Hairiyu'd been flying behind them the whole journey. Trunks hadn't seen the look on her face until now, it worried him a little.

"... Hey, what's wrong?" He asked.

This time she realised someone was addressing her. Hairiyu seemed to jolt from her thoughts and looked at him surprised, "Oh, i-it's just that I was thinking about Goku's death..." She lied.

"... Yeah?" Trunks mused looking away, not entirely buying her response but also not wanting to pry. He did genuinely feel awful about Goku's death, even if it hadn't been because of the heart virus. Instead he'd done something noble, just as he'd always been led to believe by his mother, sister and former master in his own time. "... He was a hero in every way, just like mother told me... I mean the mother we have in my time!"

Hairiyu pondered Trunks' last sentence. It was true, the mother he had in his own time was also her mother, although putting it that way made it sound far more complicated. She wondered if there were any differences between their respective mothers.

"... What's our mama like in your time, Trunks? What does she look like?"

"Uh, well she looks pretty much how she does in this time; her hair's longer though. When it comes to personality, mother's just as smart and feisty as here."

"Oh, ok then..."

There was a rather long pause between them. Hairiyu's thoughts quickly turned back to her former trail and started to eat away at her for quite some time. It seemed like an eternity of awkward silence had passed until she finally spoke out.

"... I'm gonna miss you when you go back," Hairiyu frowned. "You're the first brother or sister I've had that I can actually talk to."

Trunks seemed to be a little surprised at first but this quickly turned to a more sombre and thoughtful expression. "...I'll miss you too." He paused for a moment before continuing. "...What about my present-self – the baby version of me!"

"I can't talk to him... or rather he can't talk yet!" Hairiyu answered rolling her eyes a little at the last part of her sentence as if it had been obvious and unnecessary to point out. "It's just that... I know Gohan's just like you and me but there are some things I can't talk to him about and feel he understands whereas I feel I can do that with you. I... I don't really like saying this but... but I'm a little jealous of you..."

"Jealous? Why?" Trunks asked baffled but genuinely intrigued.

Hairiyu was already embarrassed and fragile from admitting her jealousy of her brother but it pained her more than anything to tell him why. If anyone would understand it would be Trunks. "... Dad trained with you... He's always said no to me."

"... Yeah, I think I know what you're getting at," Trunks sighed, "... You know, even though I spent a whole year with him in the Room of Spirit and Time, he never once offered to spar with me or train together. He always stood alone; if I ever tried to approach him he'd tell me to get back. In reality I didn't get to train with him, just in his company."

"That's still further than I've ever gotten," Hairiyu frowned. "It's like he likes you more because you were a Super Saiyan. I wasn't when you and dad went to train. I feel like he thinks I'm a weakling and not worth his time to train..."

"... I'm not so sure that's what he thinks," Trunks mumbled choosing his words with caution. "...Come to think of it, why wasn't dad at the lookout with the rest of us? Did he fly off as usual?"

"I think so, I passed out before he left so I assume he went somewhere else." Hairiyu nodded, "I'm sorry for bringing this up. Maybe I'm just being silly!"

Up ahead the skyline of West City was fast approaching. The tall skyscrapers quickly blocked out the circle of fire eluminating the city in a strange and eerie red glow, the light reflecting off the buildings of metal and glass. Home wasn't too far away now and soon the large yellow dome with Capsule Corp written across it was visible. Without any more words the two siblings descended and landed upon the main pathway leading up to the main entrance. The two passed through the main doors whispering about how they would deal with their mother's reactions if and when they bumped into her. As they passed the main desk, Hairiyu waved politely as the receptionist greeted her and Trunks. Immediately she and her brother headed upstairs into the living areas of the building.

"Hey, we're home! Mama! Grandpa! Grandma!" Hairiyu called. "... Anyone?"

"Oh, is that my darling granddaughter's voice I hear?"

Mrs Brief appeared from around the corner of the living room doorway looking as cheery and chirpy as always. "Oh, and I see you brought that boy again! Trunks was it? I can't believe you're really our little Trunks from the future! You're quite the looker too!"

"Grandma, that's your grandson..." Hairiyu raised an eyebrow grossed out at her grandmother's strange affections.

"Aww what's wrong with complementing your grandson?" Mrs Brief chortled. "Now would you both like anything to eat or drink? How about some of the lovely cakes I picked up earlier today?"

"I'm surprised there were any stores open today!" Hairiyu mumbled, "Grandma, did you see any of the broadcasts on the television?"

"I did! I saw you all there with Cell!" Mrs Brief nodded. "Oh, that's right! The reports cut out at one point so we don't know what happened! I guess everything's alright since you're both here! Where's your father? Is he alright?"

"Dad's out somewhere," Hairiyu answered. "Where's mama?"

"She went to go and watch the broadcasts over at Master Roshi's place," Mrs Brief replied. "She called about an hour ago to say she'll be here soon!"

"We'd better brace ourselves then," Trunks chuckled.

"Yeah, she'll be asking a lot of questions!" Hairiyu agreed feeling just as nervous as her brother!

-

By the time dinner was being cleaned up, Bulma arrived home along with baby Trunks. Naturally she was screaming her two children's names as she sped down the corridor, finding them both in the dining room and squeezing them both as hard as she could! "There you are! Oh good, you're both ok!" Bulma sighed, frantically giving her children a quick check before stepping back. "Hey, where's your father? Is he ok? Did something bad happen?"

"Dad's alright, he took off somewhere once the fight ended," Trunks replied.

"That sounds just like him," Bulma exhaled seemingly calming down, although her lips curved downwards. "... Is it true... about Goku? Master Roshi said he couldn't sense him anymore..."

Hairiyu frowned and looked away from her mother; she had never been good at telling anyone about the death of a friend and she couldn't bear to see the look on her mother's face. She hadn't even told her mother that she'd died against Freeza; no one except those who bore witness to that event knew of her death!

Bulma's heart sank as the news slowly sinked in, slowly she sat herself down upon one of the chairs. "... I see... Poor Gohan... Poor Chichi..."

"... Gohan beat Cell, he blasted him with a gigantic Kamehameha," Hairiyu changed the subject. "He was really strong! He surpassed Goku when we were training and I didn't even notice it! Cell didn't stand a chance against him!"

"Wow, so Gohan really saved us? He's just like his dad!" Bulma smiled sadly. "Saving the world and being a hero must run in the family! Too bad they won't be recognised for it."

"Why?" Hairiyu asked clueless as to what her mother was referring to, as was Trunks. Without saying another word Bulma rose from the chair and strode into the living room next door, switching the television on. Immediately reports were shown of Cell's defeat – there was a moving headline board scrolling across the bottom of the screen. The name that came up shocked and disgusted Hairiyu.

Mr Satan defeated Cell. The television channel streamed 'Satan defeated Cell' and 'Satan the hero of Earth'.

Anger began to boil up inside of her as she clenched her fists. "That's not true!" She spat furiously, "That idiot never stood a chance! Who does he think he is claiming credit for things he didn't do?"

"I know... It's not right," Bulma grunted, "but at least this way Gohan and Chichi don't have to live with news reporters constantly outside their house... or at least that's what I've been telling myself!"

"That's just not fair! He was a weakling!" Hairiyu wasn't letting this go easily, a small glint of animosity shimmered in her eye, something which did not go unnoticed by her brother. Trunks quickly intervened and grabbed onto one of his sister's fists.

"It's not fair but it'll protect Gohan and all of our identities," He replied in a calm voice, though he too was disgusted inside.

Bulma turned to her son, "So what now Trunks? You came here to learn about the androids..."

"Oh, right. I plan to go back to the future tomorrow and get some rest tonight – if that's alright with you," Trunks replied.

"Of course it is!" Bulma smiled at her future son, baby Trunks looking at him and reaching out. "Hey if it wasn't for you – or for myself building that time machine – the Earth now would be just like your future! We're both heroes!"

"Well if you're going in the morning then we should try to spend as much time as possible together!" Hairiyu decided grabbing onto her brother's gloved hand, "Let's do something fun! We haven't really had the chance to have fun since we've been fighting androids!"

"Um... ok," Trunks hesitantly nodded. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well we can watch TV – wait, no... All they'll be showing is that jerk..." Hairiyu pondered, "b-but we can still do other things like play games! I don't know what kind of games consoles they have in your time but the ones they have now are pretty awesome in their own right! I've got the latest consoles and games which we can play! What genre do you play? We have fighting, RPG, racers, shooters – you name it we have it!"

"... Why don't you pick," Trunks mumbled with a chuckle, "... You know you didn't really change in the future!"

Hairiyu stopped as something came to mind. Thankfully Bulma had taken little Trunks into the kitchen no doubt to feed the boy, so as far as Hairiyu was concerned this was the best time to ask. "... Um... I know this is a sensitive topic for you Trunks but... I wondered how did I die and when – I mean in your time. I know you told us before but you kinda missed out that part..."

Trunks seemed to sombre up as he thought of what Hairiyu assumed was a painful memory. After a while he spoke, "... Well it wasn't long before Gohan's death, I'd say a couple of months between you both," Trunks mumbled. "You went to do some shopping in one of the nearby cities since West City was short on supplies. Gohan and I sensed you power up but by the time we got there it was over."

There was more to it but Trunks didn't want to risk telling her about it. He couldn't change the future in this respect, although part of him thought he already had by helping them defeat the androids. Perhaps it would work out in this timeline too, even with the absence of the androids.

Hairiyu frowned and looked down at her lap, "... That must have been hard on you and mama."

"Gohan too," Trunks nodded, "You were best friends and the only survivors of the original fight when everyone else died..."

"I guess so," Hairiyu muttered. "... Well at least now you can finally take down those androids from your time!"

Trunks smiled at his sister and turned away, nodding a little. Tonight would be the last time he would be able to interact with his sister probably ever so he was going to make sure the two of them got to talk as much as possible. Tomorrow he would return to his time and would destroy the two androids that had been terrorising his world.

He was ready.


	71. Chapter 070

**Chapter 070 - The Start of a New Future**

The sun was up above the city skyline beaming down brightly upon West City. As promised everyone had shown up to see Trunks off and now stood around the time machine in one of the many outside gardens of Capsule Corp. Many were surprised to see Vegeta had joined them though the absence of Tenshinhan and Chaozu hadn't gone unnoticed. Tenshinhan had said his goodbyes to everyone yesterday upon the lookout. Everyone present had a black band around their arm in memory of Goku though they all knew the fallen Saiyan was amongst them in spirit.

"Good luck Trunks, take care alright?" Bulma smiled as she shook her son's hand for the final time.

"Thank you guys for all your help," Trunks smiled back.

"Feel free to come visit us any time!" Hairiyu added, grabbing her brother in a hug, slightly anxious to see him leave but knowing he had to go back to his own time. "You're the best big brother I could have ever wanted! Don't you dare lose to those androids."

"Don't worry, once I beat the androids I'll come back to let you all know," Trunks added, placing his hands on his sister's shoulders before she pulled away and stepped back. Trunks looked around to all of those in attendance, many of which gave a small nod, finally spotting his father and exchanging a kind of salute with him. Hairiyu smiled at the small display and took a couple more steps back, trying not to give in and cry. Although she knew he had to go and had told herself a million times, she was going to miss Trunks. He'd changed their lives for the better; without him they wouldn't have seen this threat coming and the future would have turned out so bleak... his future would have existed.

Trunks leapt into his time machine and quickly the engines fired up, the glass dome closing above him. The machine rose into the air.

"Bye Trunks!"

"Good luck!"

"Beat those androids!"

The heat was stinging at her eyes; Hairiyu began to wave and smiled, desperate to hold back her tears. "Bye Trunks! Look after mama!"

Trunks waved at those down below.

Then he vanished.

-

The mid-summer sun was currently hiding behind a large group of clouds which slowly passed in from the West bringing in rain from the nearby ocean. The planet was slowly recovering from the small reign of terror that had been set upon them by the malicious Dr Gero. Now that evil had been destroyed though the popular belief was inaccurate. The initial celebrations had died down though Mr Satan's name was still creeping up everywhere; his dojo was gaining more and more recognition as was his achievements and the human was clearly lapping up the fame and fortune he did not truly deserve. Those who truly deserved it kept quiet and decided to enjoy the peace they had earned from their hard work, though some were now passing through life-changing choices. Tenshinhan had already made his decision to train in solitude, convinced he would never see the others again. Yamcha had given up fighting and seemed down in the dumps, possibly feeling completely outmatched by those he fought alongside of. Krillin also seemed to be passing up his chance to train though for different reasons.

Vegeta had been the most surprising one. He too had given up on training and now chose to lounge around the Capsule Corp building, occasionally disappearing for several days before returning with no resolve. Whatever had driven him to train before had long since vanished, he was but a shadow of his former self, quiet and distant. He barely showed up for dinner and when he did he simply took his meal to eat somewhere else.

Hairiyu sat on the veranda of the Capsule Corp building by herself contemplating her own options. Ever since the fight with the androids and Cell she'd found herself at a loss of what to do. She had no reason to train but wasn't sure what else to do, what else was there to do in life besides train or go to school?

When the Saiyans were invading she was trained by Piccolo. Then straight after that she went to Namek. A year after the Namekian's left – and a year's worth of training and schooling – Freeza returned and Trunks appeared. The next three years were spent training for the androids her brother had warned them about. She'd spent the majority of her short life so far training and fighting villains and threats. As far as she knew, nothing else was expected to happen.

So why should she train? Rather, what was her excuse for training?

Her thoughts went back to the year between Namek and Trunks; the only time she'd been in such a similar situation to now. She'd just returned from Namek and they were in the process of wishing everyone back with the Namekian Dragonballs; it would take more than a year before Trunks and Freeza would arrive. She'd trained then to become stronger. Freeza had killed her on Namek and she didn't want to feel she was letting people down anymore. She trained in the hopes her father would consider training her; he'd always brush her off as a weakling.

Her father...

Hairiyu glanced back at the entrance into the living room. Her dad was in the building somewhere moping about. Ever since Goku'd died he hadn't taken much of an interest in fighting; it was such a contrast to his character! Hairiyu'd never known of a time her father hadn't trained.

She sighed and jumped over the edge of the balcony, landing safely on the grass below with all but a small sting in her feet which quickly passed. Perhaps she didn't need an urgent reason to train. Maybe training just to stay in shape and stay healthy was a good enough reason!

With that she began to stretch her muscles readying herself for some shadow boxing.

-

"Look! Trunks is walking again!" Bulma cried ecstatically.

Hairiyu glanced away from her book and looked up. Indeed Trunks was stumbling across the ground slowly making his way over towards his mother. Hairiyu slammed her book hurriedly on the table and rushed over, "Come on Trunks!" She encouraged alongside her mother. Both cooed and cheered as Trunks safely made it back to his mother's arms, Bulma raising him up into the air.

"Good work Trunks! You're growing to be so big and strong!" Bulma beamed. "One day you'll be a Super Saiyan just like your daddy and sister!"

"I'll train you Trunks since dad definitely won't," Hairiyu added. "You'll be just as strong as your future self!"

"I'm glad he managed to beat those androids in the end," Bulma said, her head turning towards the looming building behind them. "... I wonder how Vegeta's doing up there... He hasn't come out of that room in almost a week now. I haven't seen him training recently."

"He hasn't," Hairiyu replied. "He's just been in that room."

"I guess Goku's death really got to him," Bulma frowned, "or at least Chichi pointed that out to me! I think she's right. Whatever passion your father had for fighting seems to be long gone!"

Hairiyu agreed with a nod. She wasn't sure what was going on in that head of his but she hoped he'd turn back to normal soon... as much as normal Vegeta was a pain for everyone else!

"Oh by the way, since you're no longer training to fight off any future threats, I think you ought to consider getting your education back on track," Bulma suggested, her nonchalant expression quickly turning to a sterner glance as her daughter pulled a face of despair. "Don't give me that look!"

Hairiyu was staring wide eyed and shaking her head, "I can't go back to that school! Mama people will wonder where I've been for the past three years!"

"Don't worry, I wasn't gonna suggest going back there," Bulma giggled. "The company supplies children of the workers with a specialist school just for them; I was thinking you just go to that! It's not that far from here. You'll be in the last year of elementary school then moving onto middle school next April."

"... Alright..." Hairiyu sighed disheartened. She knew well enough not to even challenge her mother at this moment; it was law after all that she should go to school and she had no reason not to go anymore. At the very least she could rest in the knowledge that things were indeed returning to normal.

With that she wandered back indoors to grab herself a drink, returning her book to her shelf before resuming towards the kitchen. As she passed through the door she could hear breathing from the living room. From the feel of it her father was in the living room, for whatever reason he'd decided to leave his usual spot and lounge around lost in thought. Curiosity got the better of her and Hairiyu peered through the archway leading into the living room. The Saiyan stood at the other end of the room glancing out the window, hands in the pockets of his human-style clothes.

Her staring hadn't gone unnoticed. Vegeta took a small glance over his shoulder sending a wave of shock and embarrassment through Hairiyu, hurriedly she hid behind the wall of the kitchen wondering if he'd spotted her. Of course he had! Without another word she resumed grabbing a drink, not daring to look back into the living room to see if her father was still there!

-

The cool and calm air lightly brushed against her cheek causing a wayward hair to itch her skin. Irritated Hairiyu brushed her hair behind her ears, already struggling to concentrate on her homework. She caught a quick glance of the boy standing nearby and frowned. Indeed it appeared Gohan still seemed bothered by it. Hairiyu looked over from her homework as he walked past her and sat himself down on the steps leading to the palace. Both had decided to get away from home and do their work at Kami's place – or Dende's place as it was now known to them! She'd been stuck on the same question for the last five minutes although it wasn't because she didn't know how to solve it, she was too preoccupied observing her friend.

Dende had mentioned hearing from Kaio that Goku had competed in an Otherworld Tournament. The mere mention of his father seemed to be pushing down on the boy like a heavy burden. Was he still blaming himself for Goku's death?

"Hey, what's wrong?" Gohan had caught her looking over to him! "Do you need some help?"

"Huh? Oh! No, I don't think I do..." Hairiyu quickly glanced down to her work and read the question, realising she'd read it about ten times now! "D-Do you have much more to do?"

"No, just a couple more books mother wants me to go through," Gohan answered indifferent to the amount of work he had to complete.

"A couple...? Gohan, I only have two pieces of homework to do for tomorrow!" Hairiyu giggled. "Your mama really makes you work hard!"

"I guess so but I don't mind," Gohan nodded, "So how's school going anyway? Are the kids scared of you yet?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hairiyu pouted slightly offended, though it quickly occurred to her Gohan was not referring to her temper but her status as heir to the Capsule Corp empire! "...It's not as bad as I thought it would be; some of the kids there are a little snobby though. Everyone seems to wanna talk to me... I guess it's because I'm the heir to the Capsule Corp so they wanna make friends with me. Some of them are nice but some are a little weird."

"Wow, it must be nice to know so many people wanna be your friend," Gohan smiled.

"Yeah, the attention is nice but I'd rather people made friends with me because they like me, not because I'm my mama's daughter..." Hairiyu frowned. "... I don't feel like I'm doing something fun though. School is nice but it feels like I'm missing something..."

"I guess I know what you mean," Gohan nodded thoughtfully. "It feels strange not to be training with anyone. It's been so long since we haven't had to train for some kind of threat. The Earth is actually at peace..."

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded. The small glimmer had not gone unnoticed by her as Gohan spoke of peace. "... Your father would be proud of you."

Gohan frowned and gave a small nod. "... I wish he hadn't had to die."

"Don't we all wish that when someone passes away?" Hairiyu asked rhetorically. "At least you know he's enjoying himself in Otherworld. He left Earth up to you because he knew you could do it."

"Yeah but he died because of my arrogance..." Gohan responded. "... I don't know if I could ever forgive myself for this, especially with mother in a fragile state."

"... Is she still upset?" Hairiyu asked concerned. She hadn't been aware much of Chichi's actions past her husband's death and had assumed she'd pass through a period of mourning her husband's death before moving on. She'd done it once before, surely she could make it through again?

"Well she doesn't seem to cry as much but that's not what I meant," Gohan responded, a small smile emerging on his face which was bizarre considering the conversation they were having! "She's actually expecting."

Hairiyu's jaw dropped, her hand relaxing so much that the pen she held onto fell to the floor! "... Your mother's pregnant? Wow you're gonna be a brother!" The joy was quickly erased and she became more empathetic. "Oh no! Oh gosh, your father's not gonna be around... Poor baby and Chichi..."

"It's ok," Gohan spoke. "Mother and I have grandpa, we'll make it through somehow. We're thinking of it like this; it's as if the baby is gonna take dad's place in the family - well not as the man of the house but in spirit. It's strange I know but it keeps us feeling better about it."

"... I guess..." Hairiyu contemplated the thought. As long as it worked for them then who cared how strange it sounded? "Gosh... You're gonna be a big brother! Things are gonna change a lot in your house! Hey, maybe when they're slightly older we could hang out together and our siblings could do the same! Wouldn't it be crazy if they two of them were as good as friends as we are!"

"That would be pretty cool," Gohan giggled. "So how's Trunks? Your little brother I mean!"

"He's walking and trying to talk," Hairiyu replied. "Still pretty noisy at night but he's getting better I guess. When he's old enough I'm gonna start training him up to be just as cool as other Trunks!"

"He was pretty cool," Gohan nodded. "If it wasn't for him we'd all be doomed! We certainly wouldn't be in the position we're in now..."

"I hope he managed to defeat the androids," Hairiyu muttered.

-

When she arrived back home Hairiyu headed down the hallways towards her room, as she always did. She still had to complete another set of homework that wasn't as urgent as that she'd completed earlier but it did give her something to do. However she hadn't been prepared for what was about to take place. Turning the final corner to the sleeping quarters she bumped into her father!

"Hi dad, you getting food?" She asked. That's all he'd ever been doing if she'd caught him out of the room he'd been shutting himself into.

The man stopped, blocking her way. Was he being deliberately difficult or was he not aware of where she was travelling to? "... Can I get past please? I need to put my school work away," Hairiyu asked politely, a little confused as to what he was up to.

Vegeta stared at her for a brief moment before glancing on ahead past her, a strange look of thought on his face. "Meet me in the gravity chamber in ten minutes. Your training starts then."

Hairiyu's jaw dropped. For what felt like forever she stood unable to process a single thought through her brain until finally it hit her. Had she heard that right? Her father wanted her to train... train with him? The one thing she'd been constantly trying to seek over the past four years, the one thing she'd always been denied to the point where she'd finally given up looking for. It was happening.

She struggled to hold back her joy and instead nodded her head, "R-Right!" She spoke enthusiastically, allowed to pass her father and rushing down the hallway to her room. The door was thrown open as she tossed her rucksack to one side and hurriedly got changed into her training outfit; a pair of three-quarter length sweats with a purple vest top with the Capsule Corp logo placed on the right side of her torso.

When she was ready Hairiyu made her way to the gravity chamber, a relatively new room her grandfather and mother had designed for Vegeta during his training about a month before Cell's arrival, though Vegeta had not used it much at all prior to the fight with the androids. It was a room Hairiyu'd never dared to venture near to let alone into. As far as she was concerned it was her father's room; she was convinced if she'd ever dared to go into it she'd have probably have been killed by the violent Saiyan!

The corridors soon led her to the room, Vegeta leaning against the wall next to the door impatiently waiting for his daughter to appear. Hairiyu finally stopped about half a metre from her father, daring not to stand any closer. Her mind was racing with questions, mainly asking why. Why had he suddenly chosen to train her after all this time? What was he possibly getting out of this now that she... Hairiyu thought for a moment, certain she knew the answer. Of course, she was now a Super Saiyan. A small pinch of disappointment hit her and some enthusiasm left her. Was it all for personal gain or was it because she now seemed to be of use?

Without a word Vegeta turned and started to jab at a few buttons on a small panel next to the door which had reacted to the movement and had started to open. "In," He ordered.

Hairiyu did as she was told and stepped into the room. To her surprise there was no sudden change in gravity, there was no alteration in oxygen and heat as had been seen in the Room of Spirit and Time. The room was windowless, white panels covering the entire room save for the door. There was another small panel on the inside of the room almost in the same spot as the one outside. She took the time to glance around even as her father walked in after her, closing the door and pressing some more buttons upon the panel.

Suddenly the pressure increased. Hairiyu could feel her body starting to be pushed down towards her feet as if something was trying to force her to fall flat on her face. Instinct kicked in and she altered her posture in an attempt to keep balance. "How heavy is this gravity?" She asked, slightly shocked to see her father still standing straight and unhindered!

"This is twenty times normal gravity," Vegeta answered. "You will stay at this level until you can stand properly."

_'I can stand properly...'_ Hairiyu mused to herself, straightening up her back. It hadn't been that the gravity was overwhelming her, only that she hadn't been expecting it to suddenly increase! Indeed it did feel heavier than the gravity of the chamber upon Kami's lookout but at least she could breathe! Still she couldn't accept her thoughts on him training her. It was rather insulting to say the least!

"If you don't mind me asking," Hairiyu started, "Why are you training me? You never had any interest in it before when I asked you, so why now?"

"What does it matter," Vegeta responded, "You wanted me to train you so I am."

"That's your reason; you're training me because I asked you to?" Hairiyu repeated. "I asked you three years ago and you took no interest! Why the sudden change in attitude? This... this isn't like you."

Vegeta rolled his eyes before wandering back to the panel and pressing a single button several times before another. Hairiyu felt the gravity increase further and could start to feel the strain on her body. It wasn't painful but it was uncomfortable and once again she had to adjust her footing. This time she found she wasn't able to stand up straight and instead was forced to stand hunched over which only put more pressure on her neck.

"That's forty times," Vegeta responded. "Once you can stand, do something else to push yourself. You may be under my training but that does not mean I will be teaching you anything. I work alone." And with that he strolled over to one end of the room and started to warm up.

Irked by his lack of an answer, Hairiyu attempted to stand properly. Still no luck and it seemed to be forcing more pressure onto her head and neck. Something drastic had to be done. Without another word Hairiyu started to power up, quickly transforming into a Super Saiyan. The sudden relief on her muscles startled even her; she couldn't believe how loose she suddenly felt! "Wow, that really does make a difference..." She mused impressed.

"... Still not as powerful as Gohan, are you?"

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow and glanced over towards her father who'd momentarily stopped his stretches. "... Is that what this is about? Being stronger than Gohan? Why?"

Vegeta once again ignored her questions which was now starting to grate on his nerves. He strode back to the panel and jabbed another few buttons. The gravity increased further, the small screen indicating it was now at fifty times normal gravity, though he still did not budge under the pressure. He'd become far more accustomed to higher bouts of gravity, daring to venture as far as five hundred times on one occasion. Fifty was nothing to him.

It was noticeable in Hairiyu's stature. She could feel her muscles starting to ache slightly under the gravity but could still stand straight.

"Walk," Vegeta ordered.

"Why?" Hairiyu asked.

"Must you question everything?" Vegeta grunted. "Stop asking questions and just walk!"

Hairiyu muttered something under her breath and started to walk, though it felt and looked nothing like it should normally have! She could feel her muscles reacting with every stride she made, the gravity making it harder for her to move and control her legs; it looked more of a waddle than a stride but she managed it. "This isn't as hard as I thought it would be."

"Good, now lose the transformation and try," Vegeta instructed.

"Why would I want to do that?" Hairiyu asked wryly. She'd started to struggle with standing under forty times normal gravity so she didn't really want to know how much of an issue fifty times gravity would cause her!

"That form may provide you with a calm state of mind and body but it also provides you with an enormous well of power," Vegeta explained. "Kakarrot trained you, his brat and himself in that form to conserve energy, am I correct? Right now you have the power of a Super Saiyan racing through your body giving you strength which you clearly do not have in your regular state. Train under the same amount of gravity in a weaker state and you'll find eventually your power will grow to far greater heights. Transform down and train properly."

Hairiyu had to admit it made sense and was surprised at her father's logical thinking. It was a shame this line of thought hadn't come to him during his own fight with Cell! Nervously she lost the transformation. Immediately she felt the pressure push down on her, this time almost succeeding in flattening her to the floor! She braced herself, standing rather bent over, hands clasping to her knees in an attempt to support her upper half. Her muscles were starting to scream at her to find somewhere to rest, the strain starting to get to them and yet it had only been a couple of seconds! It wasn't just her muscles, her breathing had also been affected by the gravity, now she didn't have enough oxygen and found her breathing starting to increase. Defiantly she looked back to her father, "Now what?"

"Train. Grow stronger than Gohan," Vegeta responded. "Then maybe one day you'll get to fight with me. I won't take on weaklings and you still have a lot to learn, even with your new power."

"I thought you knew by now but I'm not a weakling," Hairiyu grunted under the pressure. "I didn't see you taking on five of those little Cells!"

"And I didn't see you beating them all effortlessly!" Vegeta retaliated with a slight hint of venom in his voice. Had she just unintentionally struck a nerve? Hairiyu had to be more cautious with her choice of words. She was pleased to finally be in this position being trained by her father and she didn't want to blow it. Sure it had been long overdue and she also had other things to focus on such as school but Hairiyu was relieved to be given a reason to train once more. She would train in order to spend more time with her father. She didn't really care about growing stronger than Gohan and didn't understand why her father seemed so focused on it but she was happy to spend her time learning more from her dad.

"Once you can stand, train and move around or something. Just don't bother me."

"Right."


	72. Chapter 071

**Chapter 071 - Orange Star High School**

Age 774, March

"Huh? So you've taken the entrance exams for Orange Star High School? That's the high school I go to! Geez, what are the odds of that happening."

_"Yeah, mother said home tutoring wasn't enough for me now and Bulma suggested it to her. Mother seemed to think it was a good school so she suggested I try and get in!"_

"Wow... Wait, why did you say try? No doubt you'll get in, give yourself some credit!"

_"I dunno. It wasn't that hard a test paper but I might have made some mistakes!"_

"Not that hard... I thought it was difficult! You're such a smarty-pants! Well if you do get in I'll try and make sure we have time to hang out. Who knows, maybe we'll end up being in the same class!"

_"That's true. Hey, how come you're attending a High School in Satan City? Were the High Schools in West City not that good?"_

"Um... It's more that I wanted a change of scenery... and I might have done a couple of things which some people in West City might remember so I wanted to avoid going to any of the High Schools there!"

_"... What exactly did you do?"_

"Um... I might have accidentally used a little too much strength during some PE lessons or gotten a little too annoyed that my ki started to rise without me knowing! People kept on saying I was a witch and stuff..."

_"I can see why you wanted a change of scenery! Hey listen, mother's finished dinner and she's calling me so I'm gonna have to go!"_

"Alright. Oh but before you go I have to warn you: If you do end up in my class there's someone there who we have to watch out for! She's a little famous because of something in the family... That's all I'm gonna tell you! Hope your dinner's good!"

_"Oh, ok then. See ya!"_

-

Age 774, April

Hairiyu sighed and brushed her fringe from her face as she walked down the streets of Satan City heading to school. Spring break had gone way too fast for her liking. The early start was nothing new to her but the routine had changed in the past seven years. Instead of being dragged into the gravity room by her father on most mornings, she was being dragged into High School for the start of the new academic year. Although she was supposed to be seventeen according to her date of birth, she had spent almost a year in the Room of Spirit and Time during the fight against Cell so she was biologically eighteen. It had always thrown her how the school officials had decided she should be in a class of people the same age as her biologically and how they didn't question her date of birth! Had her mother pulled some strings or did they think she was some kind of prodigy because of her background? Whatever the reason she was now in her final year!

"Hairiyu!"

Hairiyu glanced over her shoulder to see Peipa running to catch up with her. Great, just when she thought she'd have time to her own thoughts...

"Wow, this is a first!" Peipa smiled as she finally caught up, short on breath but not letting that stop her from talking! "I don't think I've ever seen you walking to school! I thought you usually flew here!"

"I did, I just thought I'd walk a little since it's such a nice day," Hairiyu replied. Of course she flew here – although not in the way Peipa thought! Hairiyu was an out-of-city commuter so she would naturally come here by aircraft, or at least that's what she told everyone. None of the students knew where she lived; if word got out she lived in West City and was the daughter of the president of Capsule Corp, she'd never get any rest!

"I can't believe it, it's our final year! Finally in less than a year we'll be fully fledged adults!" Peipa grinned excitedly. "We'll have to work our socks off to get into the places we wanna go! I hope we're in the same class again this year; that would make it three in a row!"

-

Classes had been assigned. Hairiyu had spotted one name and groaned quietly to herself. She was gonna be in the same class this year as her? This was gonna be awkward...

"Aww, we're in different classes..." Peipa frowned disappointed. "No fair... Oh, I see Videl's in your class! Lucky, she's so cool! I'd love to be in a class with her!"

"Y-Yeah... that would be cool wouldn't it...?" Hairiyu lied. She'd rather avoid Videl at all costs! Still there was nothing that could be done now. Her eyes fell back on the board scanning the names of those in her class.

No sign of Gohan's name anywhere.

Hairiyu frowned not entirely sure what this meant. Had he not gotten into the school after all? No, that was crazy! Gohan was one of the smartest people she knew, there was no way he couldn't have passed the entrance test!

-

Finding a new place to sit was a pain, especially when she didn't know most of the people in the class! Why did they have to separate her and Peipa? Hairiyu pouted, spotting a couple of empty seats-

Just her luck. Sharpner, Eresa and Videl were taking up three of the seats in that row! Sharpner was one of the school jocks; in Hairiyu's opinion he was an idiot who needed to at least try and attempt to pull his head out of his ass! He was arrogant and assumed he knew it all which dug under Hairiyu's nerves. He was constantly working out and had a small fan-base in the school of love-sick girls who would never have a chance. Then there was Eresa; a nice chatty girl but gossip seemed to follow her like a lost puppy. She was generally a lovely girl and went out of her way to help people out; Hairiyu didn't mind her so much but if any news got to Eresa about Hairiyu's family then she knew by sun down the entire school would know! Then there was Videl. Videl Satan... Having to be in the same class as her was bad enough but to be in the same row...?

"Hey! New girl, over here!"

Eresa was smiling and waving. Hairiyu sighed and walked up the stairs to the trio, "Hi." She waved unenthusiastically.

"They moved you to this class, huh?" Eresa asked looking a little sympathetic. "Don't worry, there are a lot of nice people in this class! You'll make friends in no time! Hey, why don't you sit with us? What's your name?"

"Hairiyu," Hairiyu replied.

"... That it? No last name huh? Just like me!" Eresa giggled. "This is Videl Satan – you know who she is, right?"

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded, "Mr Satan's daughter."

"Isn't that so cool? You get to finally meet her in person!" Eresa beamed. "The guy she's talking to is Sharpner; he's one of the most athletic guys in the whole school! He's really popular with the girls, I could name quite a few of them in this class that are in his fan-base!"

"So you're not the golden warrior, are you Sharpner?"

Hairiyu craned her head around Eresa and listened into Videl's conversation.

"Me? Nah, where would I get the time? I was in the gym all morning!" Sharpner snorted.

"... Golden warrior?" Hairiyu repeated with interest.

"Yeah, he's become a legend!" Eresa smiled; Hairiyu noticing Videl looked at her for the first time. There, that intense, suspicious glare. It made Hairiyu feel a little uneasy so she tried to focus on Eresa's babbling, "... word is he took on a couple of bank robbers this morning! He's got blonde hair that sticks up and is super strong! He might even rival Videl in strength!"

"Oh please, a geek like that could never compare to Videl!" Sharpner grunted amused.

A loud cough caught the class' attention as the teacher walked in, no doubt their homeroom teacher. Hairiyu sat down on the seat next to Eresa and gave out a small sigh. This was gonna be a tough year for sure...

_'Poor Gohan...'_ she mused. She was disappointed he hadn't made it into the school, she'd been so sure he would have passed the exams.

"Class, I'd like you to welcome a new student," the teacher spoke, "He recently passed the entrance exams with a score of one-hundred percent! A lot of you would do well to follow his example!"

Hairiyu leaned forwards. Perhaps she was wrong after all! An achievement like that had Gohan written all over it!

"Come on in..."

Sure enough it was him. A tall, dark-haired boy with an innocent look on his face wandered through the room, finally reaching the centre of the room and bowing politely. "H-Hello, I'm Son Gohan. It's nice to meet you."

"Ooh he's a cutie, I call dibs!" Eresa smiled.

"What a weird name..." Videl muttered.

Hairiyu couldn't help but smile as he spotted her, both giving a small nod at the other.

"Take an empty seat," the teacher instructed.

"Hey, up here!" Eresa waved. Hairiyu was quickly getting the impression Eresa was the new-classmate magnet and seemed to be pretty determined to be the first person any new student of the class should meet!

Gohan trotted up the steps and parked himself next to Hairiyu, "Wow, what are the chances?"

"I know!" Hairiyu smirked, "One-hundred percent huh? Geez Gohan you really are a geek! You put us all to shame!"

"... You guys know each other?" Eresa asked perplexed.

"Yeah, we're old friends," Hairiyu nodded. "Gohan this is Eresa, Videl and Sharpner."

"You won't believe it but Videl is the daughter of Mr Satan," Eresa added. Apparently she also liked emulating Videl! (Then again who apparently didn't in this school?)

"W-What? Really?" Gohan gasped. "Mr Satan's daughter?"

"Show her your gratitude!" Eresa smirked. "We're alive thanks to her father defeating Cell!"

As much as Hairiyu wanted to snort and roll her eyes she resisted. Saved by Mr Satan... Of course they were... Little did they know the real hero who saved them from Cell had just walked into the classroom!

"Hey, I know you!" Videl gasped. "I met you at the bank robbery earlier this morning!"

"Yeah," Gohan nodded.

_'Bank robbery? What were you doing there?'_ Hairiyu raised an eyebrow, _'Hope you weren't the one robbing the bank!'_

"You mean where the golden warrior was?" Eresa asked.

"The golden... what?" Gohan mumbled curiously.

"That's right, you're not from here are you?" Eresa smiled. "He's popped up a couple of times around the city in ten days! He's super strong with spiky blonde hair! He's become a local celebrity around here!"

"S-Spiky blonde...?" Hairiyu repeated, eyes widening. She had a hunch – and it was a horrifying hunch!

Videl was glaring at Gohan, Hairiyu felt a little sorry for him but at the same time did not envy him. It was like having your own mother staring at you knowing fully well you were lying to her, the pressure was horrible!

"... There was an eye-witness to the robbery this morning..." Videl mumbled, "...they said the golden warrior wore our school badge and a white top and red trousers... just like you!"

"Hey you're right!" Eresa gasped.

This is why Hairiyu didn't want to be in Videl's class! The girl was too suspicious of other people and far too smart for her own good! _'Dammit Gohan!'_ She cursed in her mind.

"Oh come on," Sharper snorted, "have you even looked at this guy?"

"Yeah, you do look kinda wimpy," Eresa giggled. "So Gohan, do you commute from home or rent a place in town?"

_'Oh don't answer this honestly!'_ Hairiyu gulped.

"I commute from home," Gohan answered.

"Oh, where from?"

"A little town in East Region four-thirty-nine."

_'Idiot!'_ Hairiyu rested her head on her desk in annoyance. Gohan could be such a dunce at times!

"Get out!" Eresa cried loudly shooting up from her seat, "That's like a five hour commute! That's hundreds of miles from here!"

"You there at the back!" The teacher barked crossly. "Be quiet!"

Eresa hurriedly sat down and hid her face behind her book embarrassed. "... So how do you commute? It's five hours by jet-flyer."

"Y-Yeah... I hate that commute, it takes forever," Gohan stuttered.

Hairiyu sighed and rested one hand on her chin, _'Today's gonna be a long day...'_

-

It was PE. A subject Hairiyu could easily excel in and re-write the records in but unfortunately knew what that would do to her reputation. She had fame and fortune because of her family's business being so successful; she didn't want fame and fortune from anything else in her life! She saw PE as a way to train herself to retain and control her power and boy did she need to! Using as little energy as possible was a must if she wanted to fit in amongst kids her own age!

Today's agenda was mixed-teams baseball. It wasn't Hairiyu's favourite sport but it was an easy sport to sit back in and let the others work! She just hoped Gohan wouldn't screw up!

"You any good at baseball?" Sharpner asked Gohan.

"Well I've never played it but I've read about it in books," Gohan replied.

"... You've read about it?" Sharpner sneered. "What a hick!"

Hairiyu glared at the cocky jock in annoyance. "It never hurts to read up on these things you know."

"Right, right, the stop-being-such-a-wiener speech," Sharpner sighed smirking, clearly not taking Hairiyu seriously. "You may have used books to learn about sports in your old class but in this class, we learn by play! Videl, you can have these two on your team."

"Hey, isn't it true Hairiyu was the star player in most sports in her class?" Eresa asked.

"Well if it is, she's about to get a lesson in what a star really is!" Sharpner replied.

"Cool off Sharpner," Videl tutted. "Just save the confidence to the game!" She turned to Gohan and Hairiyu, "Looks like you're on my team then. I say we show Sharpner what we're made of!"

"I'll take centre field," Hairiyu volunteered, Videl giving her the go-ahead with a nod.

"You take right field; know where that is?" Videl asked.

"Yeah," Gohan nodded.

Hairiyu gulped as she made her way to the outfield position she'd chosen. Hopefully no one would be able to shoot straight towards her; it would save her the trouble of risking her powers! As competitive as she could be in sports, Hairiyu'd long ago decided that unless she could reach the ball whilst keeping her feet on the ground, it wasn't worth catching! She just hoped Gohan was smart enough to realise the same thing! _'Of course he is! Gohan wouldn't blow his own cover!'_

Sharpner was the first to step up and bat.

"Knock it outta here Sharpner!" Someone shouted.

Videl stood at the pitcher's mound. With a toss she threw the ball towards Sharpner. A loud crack signalled he'd hit it. Hairiyu watched as the ball shot off high into the sky towards the right end of the field – Gohan's end.

To her horror Gohan jumped and caught the ball. It would have been fine if he hadn't jumped thirty feet into the air! Hairiyu stared in utter disbelief as she watched Gohan throw the ball down to third base; the boy on base knocked to the ground as he caught the ball! _'Idiot!'_ She rolled her eyes in resignation. _'I was wrong...'_

Sharpner was out. The jock seemed horrified! Everyone else looked stunned at what they'd just witnessed!

Soon it was Videl's team's turn to bat.

Hairiyu walked over to Gohan as their team gathered, a cross look on her face. "Not so much effort," She whispered in case others overheard her. "If you end up batting, don't hit the ball."

"Hey, did you really jump thirty feet into the air?" The coach asked.

"Uh... It was an accident!" Gohan sheepishly rubbed his head.

"An accident? How was that an accident?"

The batting began, Videl's team faring quite well considering no one on Sharpner's team was capable of jumping thirty feet into the air! Soon it was Hairiyu's turn to bat.

"Number seven spot!" The coach called.

"See you in a moment," Hairiyu stepped up and stood patiently in the right-handed batter's box. Sharpner tossed the ball out to her as hard as he could. In that split second Hairiyu concentrated her ki, striking the ball within the field of play at a reasonable distance, albeit it did shoot past those on outfield! Modelling how slowly her mother seemed to run, Hairiyu trotted around the bases, jogging past fourth base without any effort.

"Home run," the coach called. "That was a good shot."

Videl smiled, "So the rumours are true then, or was that a lucky hit?" She muttered to herself.

"Next!"

"Your turn Gohan," Hairiyu muttered as she sat herself back down. "Remember what I said!"

"I know," Gohan smiled as he made his way to the batter's box.

Sharpner tossed the ball out as fast and as hard as he could; Hairiyu noticed the small increase in his undeveloped ki as he threw.

"Oh no!" Videl gasped.

The ball headed straight for Gohan's head.

_'Dodge it!'_ Hairiyu panicked. _'Fall over! Just make sure you react like a normal person!'_

The ball struck him clean in the face! Gohan didn't even budge as the ball fell to the ground. The catcher and the coach had both flinched away from the ball as it had come...

_'That would have floored any normal human! Gohan!'_ Hairiyu sighed and rested her face in the palm of her hand. _'That wasn't suspicious at all...'_

-

The day finally drew to an end. Hairiyu gave out a small sigh as she sorted out her locker before closing it behind her. She wandered down the corridors through the small crowds of students. It wasn't difficult to find Gohan; his ki stood out so well against all the other tiny ki signals filling the building. When she finally spotted him with her eyes she noticed both Sharpner and Eresa were with him, Gohan looking as if he wanted to make a hasty retreat.

"Hey, over here!" Hairiyu called.

Gohan bid Sharpner and Eresa goodbye before heading over to Hairiyu, "I'm glad you appeared when you did!" He smiled. "Eresa was trying to get me to give her a lift and Sharpner wanted me to join the boxing club!"

Without a word the two left the school gates and headed down the streets of Satan City together. After a while and once the awkward silence had become too much, Gohan chose to speak again.

"Was a pretty good day. I enjoyed it!"

"Remind me to kill you later," Hairiyu replied.

"Why?" Gohan asked perplexed.

"Why? For jumping far higher than any human possibly can and for then taking Sharpner's throw head-on! That would have floored any other human! Do you wanna blow our cover? And what's this about a Golden fighter? We are really going to have to work on your behaviour if you wanna fit in!" Hairiyu snapped.

Something caught both of their attention.

Someone was following them. Both demi-Saiyans exchanged a small glance before turning left down one road, shielded by a tall building. Their movement was synchronised and quick, far too quick for their pursuer to realise what had happened. Down below them at the foot of the building, a bewildered and confused Videl looked around baffled as to where the two had gone!

"How long has she been following us?" Hairiyu whispered quietly and suspiciously. "... I don't like this. I knew being in the same class as her would cause trouble..."

"We'd better wait for her to leave before we make a move," Gohan suggested.

Indeed Videl soon gave up and went home. Relieved they could now fly without being spotted, Hairiyu turned her attention back to Gohan, her anger returning. "Next time you wanna transform into a Super Saiyan and stop a robbery, make sure it's not here! You'll blow our cover! Videl is not someone to be underestimated! She's cunning and she's the daughter of Mr Satan; Satan City is her turf! Seriously Gohan, do not mess with her!"

"Alright, alright, I'll think of something else," Gohan pondered for a moment before the lightbulb went off. "Actually I think I'd better head back to yours with you. Maybe Bulma can help me out?"


	73. Chapter 072

**Chapter 072 - Her Mother's Worst Creation**

The journey back home usually consisted of two parts. Hairiyu would leave Orange Star High School in one of her jet-flyers and head out of the city. Then when she was sure the coast was clear, she'd put her jet flyer back into its capsule and fly by herself! The journey took just under an hour depending on when Hairiyu put her jet away.

Today had been different. Today she had headed home with Gohan in tow after having a close call with Videl, who'd been following the two for some reason. Hairiyu had her own suspcions and had already told Gohan to be more cautious. He'd already revealed too much to their classmates today, especially during PE! He could not afford to be so careless; Hairiyu'd worked far too hard to keep her capabilities as low-key as possible, she didn't need Gohan to undo all of her hard work!

The flight home was speedy and in the end took just under an hour as both teenagers flew as fast as they could. Feet tapped onto the concrete to the entrance of her home and she stepped through the automatic doors, greeting the receptionist as she walked in.

"Mama's probably in her labs," Hairiyu spoke as she and Gohan wandered down the halls and climbed a flight of stairs to the living quarters. "I'm gonna head to my room and drop my stuff off. I'll come find you guys later."

"Sure," Gohan nodded.

"... You remember the way to the labs, right?" Hairiyu asked uncertain.

"I think so!" Gohan chuckled nervously. "Don't worry, I'm sure I'll find it eventually!"

Hairiyu sighed quietly, "Walk to the end of this corridor, turn right and follow it down. It'll take you to the first floor of the labs, you'll probably find mama working on the bottom floor."

With that the two parted at the end of the corridor; Hairiyu turning left whilst Gohan turned right. Hairiyu made her way into the living quarters and to her own room, dropping her bag off at the foot of her bed and crashing onto the mattress on her back.

For a moment she lay there contemplating her day and the year ahead of her. There had been a lot of new events fitted into such a short space of time. She was stuck in a class with Videl Satan, a suspicious, proud, crime-fighting girl and the daughter of Mr Satan, saviour of the Earth and defeater of Cell... Or so the whole world believed. On top of that Gohan was in her class and not helping the situation at all! What had happened in PE made her cringe; she couldn't believe he thought he could have gotten away with those things!

Hairiyu rolled off her bed and walked over to her wardrobe, opening the large doors and pulling out some training clothes; from one daily routine to the next. She knew she'd need to make an appearance in the gravity room at some point and would need to explain to her father she would not have such a long session tonight because Gohan had visited.

It had been almost seven years since that strange day when Vegeta had told her to come to the gravity room. From then on he'd trained her – well he said he was – Hairiyu found herself enduring different gravities and training by herself most of the time, although on the odd occasion her father would demand a match out of her. Although it had made keeping up with school life that much more difficult Hairiyu didn't complain; this was the only way she knew of getting to spend time with her father.

Clothes now donned, she headed out of her room and towards the gravity room; from the feel of it both her father and Trunks were in there. Normally her evenings were packed with school work and training alongside her brother. Hairiyu didn't have a lot of time to herself or to hang out with friends - not that she really minded the latter as her friends from high school did not know where she lived and she wanted to keep it that way! The last thing she wanted was for everyone to find out she was the heir to the Capsule Corporation, or to then find out about her past and the rumours that had followed her around at her previous school. She certainly was not a witch which the rumours suggested but she was certainly capable of the things the kids had talked about. She could make her hair float above her head, she could make the ground shake and make glass shatter, she could cause the classroom to become consumed in what the kids described as a whirlwind. Of course she'd never meant for any of it to happen and the school had called her mother in for several long talks after the event. Bulma had somehow managed to cover her daughter's tracks though Hairiyu'd never seen her mother so furious with her!

Luckily no one had ever been hurt but the damage had already been done. In the end Hairiyu'd been relieved to have left the school and had immediately started searching with her mother for a school of decent quality but one that was also far, far from home. Orange Star High School had been the obvious choice. No one knew her, no one had really bothered to find out. Hairiyu'd never felt so normal in all her life and attempted to stay under the radar, making herself out to be a shy, withdrawn girl. Peipa had almost seen right through her and had indeed become a good friend though she didn't ask many questions.

Hairiyu shook herself of her thoughts and realised she'd passed the gravity room. She turned on her heels and trotted back to the room, the door soon appearing. She tapped a few buttons on the panel which opened the door; the small monitor warning her the room was currently set to one-hundred-and-fourty times normal gravity. A couple of heads had turned on her appearance.

"Hey sis! What took you so long?" Trunks beamed at his sister though it was apparent he was struggling under the immense gravity! He stomped slowly towards his sister, fists clenched tightly as he moved until he was finally a couple of steps away from his sister. Hairiyu had closed the gap with relative ease; she was used to this level of gravity and had been since she'd turned thirteen.

"Sorry, we've got a visitor I'm afraid," Hairiyu apologised though it was more directed towards her father than her brother. Vegeta did not respond or even acknowledge the apology though Hairiyu hadn't expected anything less of him.

"Who is it? Gohan or Goten? Or is it both?" Trunks asked eager.

"Just Gohan I'm afraid," Hairiyu smiled. "He made a right fool of himself today in class! He's now with mama trying to work out how to hide his identity so he can carry on being Mr hero of Satan City! He said something about a costume or something..."

"Aww cool!" Trunks exclaimed. "So he's gonna be a super hero? That sounds cool!" He turned around to glance towards his father. "Um..." He was slow to speak and Hairiyu knew why. She wouldn't let her brother take the brunt of it.

"Dad, I'm gonna quickly steal Trunks and go see if Gohan's managed to find mama," She spoke, grabbing Trunks gently by the hand and dragging him from the room into the normality of the rest of the building! The change in gravity was minor on her but it was felt far more by Trunks who gave a small sigh of relief.

"Why don't you just say it's up too high?" Hairiyu asked as her brother wiped the sweat from his brow. "Sure he'll call you a wimp but isn't it better to be able to move under lighter gravity than to be crushed?"

"It wasn't too high," Trunks retaliated. "I've been in there all afternoon! Dad says tomorrow he'll put it up to one-hundred-and-fifty times normal gravity!"

The two siblings headed down towards their mother's labs. Indeed Gohan seemed to be here from what Hairiyu could sense, she wondered what he'd ended up asking her mother for in the end. He'd muttered about costumes earlier on during the flight back to hers but he seemed to have been talking more to himself than to her!

The doors to the labs opened as the two stepped into the room. Both Bulma and Gohan were on the bottom level of the room.

"Hey, Gohan!" Trunks waved as he rushed ahead down towards him and his mother.

"Hey Trunks," Gohan greeted the boy. "You been training today?"

"Yeah, dad's been teaching me," Trunks nodded.

"You got home a little late, did you run into trouble or something?" Bulma asked her daughter.

"No, I got here the same time as Gohan did, I just had to let dad know where I was," Hairiyu replied before turning to Gohan. "So, any luck? What did you decide on?"

"I'm not sure, whatever Bulma can conguer up for me I guess," Gohan said. "I was thinking something along the lines of a costume but anything that will hide my identity will be fine."

"... So you're really serious about this whole being-a-hero thing?" Hairiyu frowned concerned. "... I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. Videl usually goes off to fight crime so you'd better be careful."

"Don't worry, I'll be ok," Gohan smiled. "Anyway, we'd better give your mother some space."

"That's right, this may take a couple of hours so you'll have to wait a while I'm afraid," Bulma nodded.

"That's ok, I guess I could make you guys a snack or something?" Hairiyu suggested. She wasn't entirely sold on the idea but she knew better than to try to convince Gohan out of something he was clearly interested in.

-

Indeed it took her mother two hours before whatever Gohan had requested was ready. Once they'd been called via the internal phones of the building, Gohan, Hairiyu and Trunks all headed back to the laboratory to meet Bulma. What she had surprised them all at first until Gohan was told to put it on his wrist.

"... So I press this red button?" Gohan asked, placing the watch onto his wrist.

"Yep," Bulma nodded.

"Hey mum, can I have a costume too?" Trunks asked eagerly.

Gohan pressed the button. In an instant he was wearing some sort of helmet, a middle-green sheet that looked like a dressing gown minus the arms and spandex underneath, with gloves and boots which closely resembled her father's. A red cape draped over his shoulders and down the length of his back.

Hairiyu didn't know how to react. She was not liking her mother's sense of fashion or her definition of cool: this costume was neither cool nor fashionable! She scrunched her face up a little as she observed Gohan admiring his new outfit.

"Wow! This is incredible!" Gohan exclaimed looking himself over in the mirror and checking over his shoulder. "This looks great! It looks so cool!"

"Isn't it?" Bulma smiled.

"... Mum... I changed my mind..." Trunks looked stunned, although it was hard to tell considering he had his father's facial features.

"... That's... different..." Hairiyu muttered just as stunned as her brother. It wasn't something she'd choose to wear; it looked awful! Still if Gohan thought it was... 'cool'... No, no matter how much she tried to convince herself, there was nothing cool about it!

"Hey Hairiyu, why don't you ask your mother for one and we could fight crime together?" Gohan suggested.

"There's an idea," Bulma stared smugly at her daughter. "You could be his sidekick!"

"Um... I can't, I don't have much free time," Hairiyu answered. "Dad will be mad if I don't train after school and I do need to get my homework done."

"Ok then but you don't know what you're missing!" Gohan seemed indifferent.

With his new superhero outfit now sorted, Gohan headed home riding Kinto'un into the darkness. Bulma, Hairiyu and Trunks bid him farewell from the balcony overlooking the large external gardens of Capsule Corp.

"It turned out better than I hoped," Bulma smiled as her hand fell to her side, she turned to her two children. "... Alright, what did you two really think?"

Hairiyu and Trunks exchanged quick glances with each other. "... It looked very superhero-like," Trunks spluttered before attempting to walk off, Hairiyu tugging him by the arm and forcing him to stay.

"What about you?" Bulma's gaze turned to her daughter.

"Yeah, it looked awesome," Hairiyu smiled.

"... You hate it don't you?" Bulma confronted her.

"N-No I don't, it-"

"Your face scrunched up when you were looking at it, like it does when you see something you don't like."

"It's not scrunched up..." Hairiyu attempted to mould her face but to no avail.

"You can change it now all you like, you still scrunched it up earlier!" Bulma giggled. "Well at least the person wearing it liked it... right?"

"No he really did like it," Hairiyu sighed with pity. "Poor Gohan's probably gonna get picked on for his bad taste in clothes..."

"Can I go now?" Trunks asked impatiently.

-

The rumours quickly spread within a couple of days. News of the newest superhero saving the city travelled through the corridors like a wildfire, although the name hadn't quite stuck.

The Great Saiyaman.

Hairiyu rolled her eyes and sighed, resting her face down on the desk. She hadn't had enough sleep last night and made a mental note to be more assertive with her dad and his stupid training schedule! Whether he liked it or not she had to attend school so she would need adequate sleep!

Class was just starting and their tutor had just walked in, "Alright class, open your books to page seven-hundred-and-twenty-three and we'll start from there..."

Hairiyu raised her head up and grabbed her book, noticing both Videl and Gohan weren't in class. She traced Gohan's ki; he was somewhere in the city. No doubt he was chasing crime again. She turned her attention to Videl. Her ki was larger than most humans, although still minuscule compared to hers and her friends. Her ki was spiked up, Hairiyu guessing she was fighting. Her ki was pretty close to Gohan's...

Half an hour into the first lesson Gohan arrived, apologising and rushing to his usual seat. "So what's going on?"

"We're on page seven-hundred-and-thirty now," Hairiyu whispered. "We're going over the chapter; it starts on page Seven-two-three."

"Right, I'll try and catch up," Gohan nodded.

Almost a minute later Videl appeared. She apologised and made her way to her seat.

"Gosh, what happened?" Eresa asked quietly.

"Some idiots decided to rob a jeweller," Videl whispered back. "That moron showed up too - the Great Saiyaman or whatever."

"He did? Wow, what a hero," Eresa smiled. "You know who else was late? Gohan; he walked in just a minute ago."

"Gohan?" Videl glared across the table to the boy. "That's funny..."

"I overslept," Gohan chuckled.

From what she could see, the cogs in Videl's head were slowly turning. Not wanting to draw any attention to herself, Hairiyu went back to her reading. She had a feeling it wouldn't be long now until the truth came out. Gohan's insistence on being a hero was most likely to be his downfall, especially since Satan City was Videl's turf. That girl was stubborn and very cunning; Hairiyu knew she'd do almost anything to find out who this 'Great Saiyaman' was...


	74. Chapter 073

**Chapter 073 - Exposure**

School continued to grow more and more problematic for both Hairiyu and for Gohan. Ever since the new appearance of the Great Saiyaman, talk and gossip had spread throughout the school and outside into the streets of Satan City. Often on her way through the corridors Hairiyu'd hear people muttering about how goofy this new hero looked but how incredible he was. The descriptions had Gohan's name written all over them to her; Gohan was indeed incredible and goofy! The problem was he was also treading on someone else's territory; Videl would often be in the same places as Saiyaman and seemed even more suspicious - if that was even possible! She clearly had her eye on Gohan no thanks to his peculiar behaviour during class and his long excursions to the bathroom! It would be only a matter of time before she cracked him, Hairiyu was sure.

Indeed it was another week before the truth was found out...

On their way through the city, Gohan had revealed some alarming news.

"You were spotted?" Hairiyu shrieked, her frustration and annoyance perking up as a voice in her head screamed 'I told you this would happen if you weren't careful'! "Damn it Gohan, who saw you and why?"

"A girl from our class called Angela," Gohan moped feeling downhearted.

Hairiyu breathed a small sigh of relief, thankful it wasn't Videl. However the relief was short-lived. Angela was not someone she'd gotten to know well at all, just another girl who happened to be in their class that Hairiyu assumed she had nothing in common with! She recalled her as a girl with lilac eyes and burning red curls which reached down to her mid back. She was a pretty girl and seemed to be the type that always had a boyfriend, flitting from guy to guy.

"So what did she say?" Hairiyu asked not really sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"Well you remember when I was sent out during class today and then she left the class?" Gohan explained. "Well she came out to talk to me and asked me to go out on a date with her, otherwise she'd tell the entire school my secret! She saw he land on the roof and transform out of my Great Saiyaman disguise!"

"... You're such a headache sometimes..." Hairiyu sighed though there was a playful smirk on her face. The look caught Gohan a little by surprise.

"... Um... What?"

"You got a girlfriend," Hairiyu playfully jeered. "Gohan's going on a date! Serves you right for being so careless, I did keep telling you to be careful!"

"You told me to be careful around Videl, which I have been! You didn't say I had to be careful around Angela!" Gohan pouted.

"So any idea what you're going to wear and what you'll both end up doing?" Hairiyu asked deciding now was not the time to continue teasing him. She was genuinely interested to see how Gohan'd handle being on a date. "Gonna get her a present or something? You don't have to, some girl like that and some don't. Where are you meeting?"

"What's with all the questions?" Gohan raised an eyebrow. "I haven't really thought about any of this... but we're meeting by the station in central Satan City."

"Sorry but I'm genuinely concerned for you," Hairiyu apologised. "No offense but you come off as really naive and clueless when it comes to dates and girls and regular human life for that matter!" She noticed the slightly annoyed look on his face and grew a little flustered. "D-Don't worry though, you're lucky your best friend's a girl! I can give you advice at the very least!"

"I guess so..." Gohan mumbled folding his arms, realising they'd come to a quiet street with no one apparently present but the two of them. "I hope mother doesn't mind all of this. Angela wants to meet over the weekend and mother usually makes me study more during that time."

"She'll probably be thrilled to get you out the house," Hairiyu giggled. "I guess this is where we part... though I honestly think I should be helping you out with all this. If you need any advice or anything, don't be a stranger!"

"Right," Gohan nodded.

Both teenagers checked to make sure no one was around before both teleported, reappearing high in the air and flying in seperate directions to their respective homes.

-

Another week of school passed and rumours about the Great Saiyaman continued to flow, though thankfully the date seemed to have passed off fairly well as no one was talking about his identity! Unfortunately for Gohan there did seem to be rumours of another kind about his choice of underwear which Hairiyu eventually picked up on! Teddy-bear underwear? Yeah that sounded like Gohan. She did not confront him on the matter sensing the embarrassment he was already going through and choosing not to make it worse!

Hairiyu was visiting Gohan during one of their days off from school, homework in tow for a study session and to make an appearance as it'd been a while since she'd last visited. The scenery became familiar to her and she eventually landed outside the Son house. The small house had grown slightly in the past seven years mainly due to the arrival of a new member of the Son family; Son Goten. The house now had an extension added with a larger living room and kitchen space. Hairiyu wandered up the path and knocked on the door, waiting quietly. The door opened and an excited face lit up. "Hairiyu!"

"Hey Goten," Hairiyu smiled as the seven-year-old boy rushed out and hugged her. "You've gotten bigger since I last saw you!"

"Did you come over to play?" Goten asked ecstatically. The boy was identical to his late father both in looks and personality according to Chichi! Hairiyu had to agree with her, he looked like a miniature Goku for sure and seemed to have his love for food and animals from what she remembered of the late warrior. He was a lot more boisterous than Gohan was at his age and a lot more playful and child-like. Easily understandable considering the life he'd lived compared to her and Gohan. By his age they'd been involved in the battle against the Saiyans, Freeza and had began their training to fight the androids!

"I came over to see your brother, is he in?" Hairiyu asked.

"No, he's out saving Chobi!" Goten shook his head.

"Chobi?" Hairiyu repeated confused.

"He's a baby dinosaur who lives nearby; Toto's his dad!" Goten explained. "He's about as big as I am!"

"I see, well why is Gohan having to save him?"

"Chobi got taken by some mean circus people so Gohan went to rescue him so he can live with his family! It was awful Hairiyu, they had a whip and they were hitting him with it!"

"Aww that's not good. Well it's a good thing Gohan went to go rescue him then isn't it? Isn't your brother kind? If he's really not here then I guess I can play!" Hairiyu smiled.

"Yay!" Goten cheered as Hairiyu put him back down on the grass, Goten grabbing her hand and dragging her inside. "Let's play! Let's play!"

-

Gohan soon returned home with a couple of scrapes and cuts though looking none the worse for wear. The slightly sheepish look on his face sent alarm bells through both Hairiyu and Chichi's minds but neither reacted at that moment.

"Gohan look at you! What happened?" Chichi demanded.

"Yeah, what happened?" Hairiyu asked shocked. "Did someone actually cause you some damage?"

"It was Toto; he and his wife showed up in the city looking for Chobi," Gohan explained as he took his helmet off. "It'll be ok, all I need is a plaster!"

"... Maybe you ought to see Dende," Hairiyu suggested anxiously - and for good reason. "Was Videl there?"

"Yeah, she thought I was stealing Chobi from the circus but once she realised what was going on she helped out," Gohan nodded.

"Then you definitely need to see Dende!" Hairiyu's suspicions had been confirmed and the alarm bells were ringing louder now! "She'll find out it's you if she sees that scratch! Gohan she's onto you already; she's already suspicious about the Great Saiyaman. If she sees you go into school tomorrow with that cut it'll be over! She's too cunning and smart!"

"It'll be fine; besides I'd feel bad if I went to Dende to get this little scratch healed up!" Gohan smiled. "Videl won't know it's me. She's smart but I have a plan."

"Oh what, stick a plaster on it and hope she won't notice?" Hairiyu jeered wryly. "Gohan she's not stupid! You'll need to get it healed!"

"Alright you two, that's enough," Chichi butted in, "Honestly, you bicker like you're a married couple!"

"M-Mother!" Gohan protested in embarrassment, "It's not like that! Really!"

"I'm just saying, it would be so sweet if you two got married and started a family! You've been friends since you were little!" Chichi giggled.

Hairiyu blushed lightly and rolled her eyes. So Chichi was still suggesting and spurting out these kinds of things? Was it because of her and Gohan being friends or was it because Hairiyu was rich? She could never tell with Chichi but she knew the woman had always had her eye on money.

"So would Hairiyu be my big sister?" Goten asked perking up and smiling at the prospect of getting an older sister. None of the adults had realised he was in the room!

"No, Hairiyu and I aren't together! We're just friends!" Gohan cried even more flustered than before.

"Right now I feel like I'm his mother," Hairiyu added folding her arms. "Please don't come to school with a plaster or with that cut!"

"Go on you two, get out of here and go have some fun," Chichi literally pushed her son and his friend from the room, the smug smirk never wavering from her face despite her son's protests! Gohan and Hairiyu ended up leaving the house and sitting down on the outskirts of the edge of the forest, not straying too far from the house as dinner would be ready soon.

"... So how'd your date with Angela go?" Hairiyu asked deciding she could no longer avoid asking.

"It went alright, she got pretty mad at me then suddenly she was fine again" Gohan replied looking up at the leaves of the trees towering over them. "I had to distract her a little though so I could go help the fire fighters with something..."

Hairiyu looked at him suspiciously. "... You really can't resist it can you? How did you manage to distract Angela... and doesn't she already know you're the Great Saiyaman anyway?"

"Well surprisingly it turns out she was blackmailing me with something else!" Gohan explained. "I'll save that part for later. The nearby hospital was on fire and Videl was trying to get the water tank on the roof to open up to help put out the fire. Trouble was the talk almost crushed her; if I hadn't have stopped it from falling she'd have been seriously hurt! The fire was put out and I managed to transform back and find Angela."

"... That doesn't explain how you distracted her! No surprise Videl was there either... I don't like this Gohan, the more time you spend bumping into her, the more convinced she'll become it's you!"

"I think she had her suspicions and I don't think Angela helped!" Gohan sheepishly rubbed his head. "She bumped into Angela and I after the fire and for some reason Angela got upset again, I think it was because I was talking to Videl. Anyway she was about to tell Videl my secret! Turns out she didn't know I was the Great Saiyaman... it was something else!"

Hairiyu smirked. "Ah I see! So that's why there are rumours going around school about you!"

Gohan's eyes widened in shock, a slight blush visible on his face. "... You mean... Aww no!"

"Oh yes, teddy-bear underwear!" Hairiyu burst out laughing. "I thought it was true but your face just makes it that much funnier! Aww don't worry Gohan, I think it's cute! My guess is either Angela or Videl spread that one and honestly I doubt it's Videl! You must have really upset Angela... Poor girl."

"What about me?" Gohan cried embarrassed. "I'm the one who's gotta deal with everyone else teasing me about my underwear!"

"If it bothers you that much then buy some new underwear!" Hairiyu replied, her speech slowing as a thought sprung to mind. "... How did she know about your underwear anyway?"

"She spotted me getting changed after gym I think, something like that..." Gohan mumbled.

_'Geez Angela, what a perv you are looking in the guy's changing rooms!'_ Hairiyu grumbled in her mind. "...Well at least your other secret is safe for now. Just make sure you don't do anything stupid with that cut."

"It'll be fine," Gohan responded. "You worry too much!"

"I worry because I know what you're like and I know what Videl's like!" Hairiyu sighed.

-

The new school day had started. Hairiyu sat herself down at her desk chatting to Eresa as the class slowly filtered into the room. Videl appeared through the door looking pretty pleased with herself. The conversation between the two girls abruptly stopped as both eyed her up suspiciously. Whilst Eresa muttered something about Videl being cheerful and thinking nothing more of it, Hairiyu wasn't so dismissive. She looked happy... too happy...

_'Please tell me he didn't...'_ She prayed to herself.

"Hey Hairiyu, isn't it a nice day out today?" Videl's voice made Hairiyu jump! "Aah I'm in such a good mood! A very, very, very good mood!"

"Is that so?" Hairiyu asked, inside she was nervous. Videl had a pretty smug look in her eye which just made her worry all the more about Gohan. "Well here's hoping we have a good day today!"

"You know we don't talk that much," Videl responded. "We should talk more! In fact I think we should hang out together too!"

"Aww Videl, you know Hairiyu's all shy and quiet!" Eresa giggled. "She doesn't have time to hang out outside of school anyway, right Hairiyu?"

"Yep, I'm very busy at home," Hairiyu nodded, refusing to give away too much. It seemed she'd now become Videl's next big interest which could only mean one thing. She'd cracked Gohan. _'I swear if he's said anything about me to her I'll make him wish he'd never set foot in this school!'_

A couple of minutes later a tired and defeated-looking Gohan wandered through the door. There was no plaster but even from this distance Hairiyu could see his cut. _'Oh he's in trouble later on! I warned him and he didn't listen! Damn it Gohan!'_ She patiently waited for Gohan to sit down and tell her what had happened... no, the classroom would be a bad place to tell her what happened! Gohan sat himself down and slumped in his seat; his face said it all. Hairiyu sighed and sat quietly at her desk, chin cupped in her hands.

-

"So what happened?" Hairiyu asked as the two walked through the streets of Satan City. School had ended and Gohan had decided he needed to head to Capsule Corp again. Thankfully Videl didn't seem to be tailing them which surprised Hairiyu a little. Even as she and Gohan spoke she kept one ear open for any movement from behind them.

"... You were right..." Gohan sighed. "Videl saw through me straight away. She knows I'm the Great Saiyaman. She saw the plaster and exposed me!"

"Well... No, it won't help..." Hairiyu mumbled more to herself. She was about to tell him she told him this would happen but right now, would she appreciate someone gloating at her? No, she'd be of no help! She had more urgent questions to ask him, "Did you say anything to her about me?"

"No, she didn't ask anything about you," Gohan shook his head. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna drag you down with me."

"... Thanks," Hairiyu gave a small nod, "So what's gonna happen? Are you gonna stop being the Great Saiyaman since she'll probably tell everyone?"

"Not exactly, Videl's promised not to tell anyone..." Gohan answered, "... she blackmailed me into entering the next Tenkaichi Budokai."

"Geez Gohan, you're pretty easy to blackmail! That's twice in one week! The Tenkai... Wait, isn't that the tournament your dad used to enter as a kid? I think I remember mama telling me about that," Hairiyu wondered.

"Yeah, that's the one," Gohan nodded. "She said if I don't enter then she'll tell everyone I'm Saiyaman! She's so smart; she even figured out I was the son of my dad, the man who won the tournament before the one Mr Satan won."

"Mr Satan won the last Tenkaichi Budokai?" Hairiyu gasped. "... I knew he'd have had to have won something but I didn't realise it was that! No wonder they all thought he would save them from Cell! That's the strongest under the heavens martial arts tournament!"

"Since I'm not entering this tournament, I wanna enter as the Great Saiyaman so as not to blow my cover," Gohan added. "That's why I need to talk to your mum to see if she can help. Helmets and armour aren't allowed in the tournament but I wanna be able to hide my face!"

"So it's back to mine then? I guess that's fine with me," Hairiyu folded her arms. "Hmm... I have to admit it does sound like it could be fun. I'd feel bad if you had to enter the tournament by yourself but I don't know if I'd wanna risk my identity!"

"You could always-"

"I don't think so! That costume suits you; I don't think it'd suit me!"


	75. Chapter 074

**Chapter 074 - Round Up For The Budokai**

"So you're entering the upcoming Budokai?" Bulma blinked taken aback. "... I have to admit I'm a little surprised Gohan, why'd you wanna enter it?"

Indeed Gohan had returned to Capsule Corp alongside Hairiyu in order to seek Bulma's help. The three - and Trunks who'd tagged along again - stood amongst themselves in the small lab holding all the faulty machinery and transport, mostly hover-bikes and hover-cars.

"There's a classmate of mine who's blackmailed me into entering the Budokai," Gohan explained.

"Mr Satan's daughter found out Gohan was the Great Saiyaman," Hairiyu added exasperated.

"Oh, I remember you saying something about his daughter being in your class this year... So she found out, huh?" Bulma mused, "The daughter of a 'martial arts champion'?"

"She's a nice girl," Gohan nodded indifferent to Bulma's ponderings. "She helps to fight crime in Satan City and defend the people just like me. Only thing is she saw through my disguise and because of this," he pointed to the scratch on his face, "She said if I don't compete she'll blow my cover!"

"... You know you're very different from your father in some ways but just as dumb!" Bulma giggled. "Alright, so what do you wanna do?"

"Well I can't enter the tournament with any protection so I need something to replace the helmet," Gohan explained.

"I see... we want something that will cover your face, right?" Bulma asked. "I think I know just the thing!"

Hairiyu and Trunks both stared at each other concerned for what was going through their mother's minds. The trio watched as Bulma scooted off in search for some materials, muttering something about concealing eyes. They weren't kept waiting long as soon Bulma returned with her solution, passing over what appeared to be a scarf and a pair of sunglasses over to the intrigued Gohan...

Hairiyu's face dropped as Gohan exclaimed how happy he was. He looked even more ridiculous without the helmet! Sure this was far more cost-effective and much simplier but even so, Gohan still looked ridiculous to her!

"What do you think Trunks? Pretty cool huh?" Gohan asked pleased with his alternate super-hero look.

"... No comment..." Trunks mumbled, dropping his half-full can of juice without realising.

"How about you? Think it's cool?" Gohan turned to Hairiyu.

"Uh... I guess if you think it's cool then who cares!" Hairiyu squirmed. _'It looks awful Gohan! I can't believe you're gonna go out in public like that!'_

"It must be pretty boring knowing you'll win that tournament easily," Bulma mused. "Hey Hairiyu, why don't you enter as well?"

Hairiyu's head whirled at the thought, "I dunno, it does sound like fun but what about school?" she asked, not quite believing the words that had come from her mouth! Since when had she chosen school over fighting?

"Who says either of them would win?"

The group's heads all spun around in surprise as Vegeta strode into the room.

"Who could possibly beat either of them – besides themselves?" Bulma asked confused.

"Yours truly!" Vegeta retaliated confidently. "If they'll enter then I'll enter too! The boy was a lot stronger than me when we fought Cell but how about now? While you've been busy going to the library and going out on dates, I've been doing nothing but severe training the entire time!"

Hairiyu rolled her eyes; she couldn't deny any of her father's accusations! He did indeed spend all of his time training and doing nothing else except tending to his everyday needs! She'd never once seen him slouched out in front of the television, aside from the brief time immediately after the Cell Games. Gohan on the other hand didn't seem to train at all. He'd been into sparring with Hairiyu every-so-often for the first couple of months after the battle with Cell, then after that he just seemed to lose focus and interest. She was interested to see how his severe lack-of-training had affected his fighting-style and power...

"...Why is it Saiyans can train all day but can't mow the lawn or take out the trash?" Bulma grunted more to herself than anyone else.

"Cool! Gohan, Hairiyu and dad are gonna fight!" Trunks exclaimed excitedly.

"Whoa, I never said I was entering!" Hairiyu butted in.

"Of course you are!" Vegeta snapped, "While he's been frolicking in peace, Hairiyu's been training hard getting stronger! Of course she'd be far stronger if she didn't insist on going to that damn school and spent more time training!"

"It's the law Vegeta!" Bulma spat back. "She has to go to High School! You never listen."

"It'll be like old times," Gohan smiled, "Hey, we may end up fighting each other!"

"Old times? We never entered a tournament!" Hairiyu responded wryly.

"Aww come on sis, enter!" Trunks grinned with anticipation.

"Fine, I'll enter..." Hairiyu sighed. "... I might need a costume though; I don't want Videl knowing I've entered!"

Bulma was quick to respond, "Hey I could-"

"I'll make something for myself mama." Hairiyu quickly answered knowing what was coming!

_"I'll go too!"_

The sudden interference of a familiar voice caught them all by surprise. Hairiyu stopped and blinked baffled looking around at their surroundings, not entirely sure where to look! She recognised that voice! It had made everyone stop in their tracks, all the members of the room – minus Trunks – knew who it belonged to yet couldn't believe they'd heard it!

"... Dad? Is that you?" Gohan slowly spoke, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "Please tell me that was you!"

"Kakarrot?" Vegeta glanced up to the ceiling.

_"Hi everyone! How've you all been?"_

Hairiyu felt something tug on her shirt and looked down to see Trunks. "What's going on?" He asked. "Who's talking?"

"Um... I'll tell you later, just let me listen to this," Hairiyu replied turning back to stare at the ceiling.

"Dad, how've you been?" Gohan asked loudly, clearly excited at getting to speak to his dad again.

_"Pretty good, still dead though!"_ Goku's voice replied.

"Is it true you're really coming back for the Budokai?" Gohan asked.

_"Yeah, I get one day to come back to visit the living so I'll make sure that's the day! If all three of you are fighting, I wanna be in on it too!"_

"Alright! Yeah!" Gohan cheered pumping both fists into the air triumphantly.

"I'll look forward to it but will you?" Vegeta jeered, "I've grown far stronger than before."

_"That goes for me too! Well I'll see you guys at the Budokai!"_

"... Who was that?" Trunks raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"That was Gohan's dad," Hairiyu answered. "He was talking from the otherworld."

"Gohan, you should let Krillin and your mum know about this," Bulma smiled, "This is great news!"

"Yeah, good call," Gohan nodded.

"This is getting interesting!" Vegeta chuckled confidently.

"Oh, Vegeta – and I guess this should go for you too Hairiyu..." Gohan mumbled, "Maybe you guys should consider wearing a costume so they can't tell who you are."

"Yeah, I said I'd do that," Hairiyu nodded anxiously.

"A costume?" Vegeta barked frazzled. "I don't care if they find out!"

Gohan soon left pleased with his alternate Saiyaman costume and with the news his father would be returning for the Budokai. This news had also left Hairiyu in high spirits and she decided to head back into the gravity room for some more training. Her father'd been right about one thing: if she was going to consider entering then she'd need to get all the training she could! However she needed to run something past her mother before any training could take place. Once Vegeta had dragged Trunks back to the gravity room, Hairiyu nervously approached her mother.

"Mama... would it be ok if I didn't go to High School for a little while?"

"What?" Bulma's short hair swayed as her head spun around in alarm, "Why?"

"Well if I'm gonna be entering then isn't it important I train as much as I can?" Hairiyu suggested. "Gohan says there's prize money given out to the top five competitors; first place gets ten million zeni..."

"The money would be nice but we've got plenty of that anyway," Bulma turned back to her work. "I take it your dad put you up to this?"

"... Kinda... but I was gonna ask anyway!" Hairiyu sheepishly giggled deciding her father could take the brunt of the blame; he often complained about her not training enough! "I just think school's gonna make it difficult for me to focus."

"Alright, you can take time off of High School. You just make sure you catch up after the Budokai!"

"Thanks mama!"

-

A couple of days passed and training got underway. To her surprise Trunks decided he too wanted to enter as Goten had been allowed to. Although she hadn't physically seen it, the sudden surge and that oh-so-familiar tint of Super Saiyan to his ki left her speechless! She'd dashed from her bedroom and barged through the gravity chamber door, unintentionally shutting off the gravity simulation when opening the door; a safety device her mother had installed to stop any accidents from happening.

"What are you doing?" Vegeta snapped, grunting and walking back over to the gravity simulator to reset the gravity.

Hairiyu's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, jaw dropping as she saw her blonde brother. "... I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Trunks smiled smug, folding his arms in a similar fashion to his father's. "That I'm a Super Saiyan? Goten's one too ya know!"

"WHAT?" Hairiyu shrieked. "... But... But... How? You mean you just woke up one day and you magically transformed?"

"Yeah," Trunks nodded, "Well actually I was pretty angry that day... or I think I was!"

"Did you know about this?" Hairiyu turned to her father.

"Dad looked surprised, not as surprised as you though sis!" Trunks replied before Vegeta could.

"... Wow... and I thought Gohan and I were lucky to reach it at our ages..." Hairiyu mumbled in awe, an idea popping into her head. "...Hey Trunks, how about a sparring session?"

"Uh... ok then," Trunks answered with an unsure nod. "Can I stay as a Super Saiyan?"

"Sure," Hairiyu nodded, "Tell ya what, I won't transform, ok?"

"You sure? Aren't you gonna get beaten up by me if you don't transform?" Trunks asked.

"I'll be fine," Hairiyu smiled a little bothered by her brother's overconfidence. "Come at me!"

"... Alright!" Trunks nodded as Hairiyu put up her guard.

He moved faster than she expected; Hairiyu only just managed to raise her arm to stop his punch from striking her face. Trunks' attacks were rapid and blurry, Hairiyu blocking and dodging the speedy moves with difficulty; she couldn't believe what she was now dealing with! Trunks lashed out with a kick, Hairiyu stepping back to dodge, lunging forwards and turning from defensive to offensive.

To add to her already mounting surprise Trunks wasn't doing too bad dodging her attacks! She increased her speed little by little, Trunks matching her blow-for-blow. A strike to her face almost knocked her backwards but then Trunks kept on hitting, Hairiyu struggling to catch up to his speed and anticipate in time. She was knocked a couple of steps back as Trunks' moves increased in speed, a more confident smile slowly appearing on the Super Saiyan's face. That sent a mixed feeling of pride and anger through her.

Hairiyu's annoyance was rising; this boy was starting to become too cocky! She couldn't catch him out at this pace-

Trunks gasped as his sister transformed, dodged and sent him crashing onto his butt with a controlled punch to the stomach. He winced and grumbled as he held his painful gut, "... No fair... You transformed!"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Hairiyu apologised, wiping the blood dripping from her throbbing nose. "... Guess I wasn't expecting to have that much trouble against you! I should give you more credit!" She reached down and held out her hand, Trunks grabbing it as she pulled him back onto his feet. "I could have hit you harder you know."

"Yeah... I'm ok!" Trunks hurriedly let go of her hand and put up his guard; Hairiyu had a feeling he was trying to act so tough because their dad was present, something she no longer felt a need to do.

"You wanna go again?" Hairiyu smiled, "Alright then but don't expect to find it as easy as earlier!"

-

A couple more days passed and the training continued. By now Gohan had let Krillin and Piccolo both know about the upcoming tournament, both of whom had agreed to participate. For most of the time Hairiyu sparred with Trunks and occasionally her father, although their sessions didn't last too long as Vegeta was still under the impression training was most efficient when done alone. This didn't bother Hairiyu too much; her dad had a tendency not to hold back against her anymore and she needed the time for her wounds to heal!

"Alright Trunks, let's try this again," Hairiyu decided, standing opposite her younger brother. The siblings had decided to train in a mountainous area not too far from West City where they could fight freely outside without causing much harm.

"Ok," Trunks drew back his hands concentrating his ki, Hairiyu doing the same only clenching her fists. With a yell Trunks began to fire off energy attacks as fast as possible, Hairiyu deflecting or dodging them from where she stood, although deflecting was the main aim. It was good practice for her reflexes and strength and also good practice for Trunks building up his stamina. After a couple of minutes Trunks stopped, sitting down to rest and catch his breath.

Hairiyu walked over and joined him. "I think we'd better go to get some lunch soon, I dunno about you but I'm getting hungry. Nice shots by the way; I think you're really starting to improve!"

"Thanks sis..." Trunks smiled. "Hey, when we come back in the afternoon, can you fire shots at me and I deflect and dodge?"

"Sure," Hairiyu nodded.

Home thankfully wasn't too far away from where they'd been training, quickly coming into view as the two landed outside the front of the large building. A surprised and horrified look came over Hairiyu's face as she sensed a familiar ki inside of the building.

"What's wrong?" Trunks asked noticing the worried look on her face, unnerving him a little. "... Sis?" He repeated.

"... I have a horrible feeling someone's looking for me," Hairiyu answered slowly, keeping half an eye on the familiar ki coming from inside the building. "Go get some lunch Trunks, I'll be with you later. I've gotta go find someone."

"...Ok then," Trunks trotted on ahead as both siblings walked through the entrance. Sure enough there she was sitting on one of the many sofas dotted around the reception desk for those waiting for appointments.

Videl was here... although she didn't look like Videl anymore!

"I thought you'd be here," the short-haired girl stood up and wandered over, arms folded. "So what's the deal? You suddenly stop coming to school ironically at the same time as Gohan? Why, are you ill?"

"... How did you find out I live here?" Hairiyu asked suspiciously; inside she was absolutely horrified! She couldn't deal with Videl right now and could not work out how she'd found out her address! This was very bad! More to the point Videl still didn't know about Hairiyu's abilities! _'If Gohan's ratted me out..._ She grumbled to herself in her mind.

"The student roster," Videl answered, one finger tapping on her arm, "the same way I found where Gohan lived! So what's the deal? Care to tell me why you're taking time off school?"

"...I'm helping my mama out with this big project she's doing at the moment," Hairiyu spluttered.

"Stop. Don't even think about lying to me..." Videl smirked smug, "You knew all along didn't you? You knew about Gohan!"

"What about him?" Hairiyu asked suspiciously.

"Gohan's teaching me how to fly and is teaching me how to control my ki," Videl continued. "You knew he was the Great Saiyaman! You're in on it, I know you are!"

She'd got her pinned. "... Ok, so what if I knew?" Hairiyu asked, voice more stern and expression more serious. "I'm not gonna give away his identity! You know if all you came over here to do was just to ask me questions about Gohan then you're wasting both your and my time, I've gotta help my mama out-"

"That's not all I'm here for. I know about your past, why you probably didn't go to West City High School, all the rumours." Videl butted in. "I'll bet you have the same powers as Gohan, don't you? You can fly and shoot off all those weird ki things, can't you? Don't even try to deny it; there have been stories of things that happened in the schools you went to in West city, like you getting outstanding grades in PE and weird incidents occurring around you! I went to those schools to find out more about you; travelling from West City to Satan City to go to High School sounds far too dedicated for any normal student, plus it would take at least a couple of hours commute either way!"

"... Are you stalking me or something?" Hairiyu protested. "Look whatever you've heard about me is just rumours Videl! If you came to stir up trouble then I'm sorry but you're not gonna find it here!"

"You're planning to enter the Budokai, aren't you?" Videl muttered ignoring her for the most part. She had all the information she needed! A small smirk slipped across her face, "Gohan told me. In fact it's thanks to him I even found your address! He let it slip. I just had to confirm it on the student rosters to make sure he was telling the truth!"

_'That idiot!'_ Hairiyu could have sworn she felt a nerve burst. _'Note to self; remember to kill Gohan when you next see him!'_ She glared back at the blue-eyed girl, not choosing to speak for quite some time. "Fine, so what if I am? What's it to you?"

"Nothing, it just means there's one more opponent who will be there who will give me a decent fight!" Videl smiled. "You're pretty good you know, it took me a while to find out anything about your past and you're right, a lot of the teachers who were there when you were did say they thought it was rumours! I didn't even realise you were the daughter of the heir to Capsule Corp! Why the cover-up? Was it the rumours or something else?"

"I don't really like people knowing," Hairiyu frowned. "I don't want all the attention you get just because you're rich and famous. Surely you of all people can understand that."

"Yeah, I can..." Videl smirked. "... Well as long as you don't pull out of the tournament, no one will find out!"

Hairiyu glared suspiciously at the girl, a bemused smirk on her face, "... Excuse me? You think I'd pull out of the tournament? I can't imagine why you'd think that!"

"Well since we're gonna be fighting in front of tens of thousands of people, I thought you might be a little worried about your identity!" Videl replied. "Gohan certainly seemed to be!"

"Don't worry, I've got it covered," Hairiyu spoke. "So is this all you came over for?"

"It's one reason," Videl nodded, "I also came over because I didn't realise we had so much in common. It feels like I'm meeting the real you for the first time!"

"Yeah well I knew you'd be on my back if you ever found out about me so I tried to keep away from you; just remind me to thank Gohan for opening his big and idiotic mouth!" Hairiyu rolled her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Videl narrowed her eyes. "I'd be on your back?"

"I mean you'd do exactly what you've just done and tracked me down because of how suspicious my past is," Hairiyu explained. "I'm not stupid and I know what you're like. I'm not as naive as Gohan is."

"Hey sis, grandma wants to know if you wanted any cake?" Trunks reappeared, noticing Videl and raising an eyebrow. Even he could sense the tension between the two dark-haired girls and began to wonder whether he'd walked in at the wrong time.

"I'll go and find her," Hairiyu answered her brother, "I'll be a little while yet."

"... Is he your little brother?" Videl asked after Trunks vanished again. "He looks familiar to me..."

"That's Trunks," Hairiyu nodded, "He's friends with Gohan's little brother."

"Oh? I think Goten mentioned him," Videl realised. "Listen, I know we've had our differences in the past and haven't really hung out together but maybe we should do that at some point after the tournament is over."

"Yeah, I guess so," Hairiyu agreed reluctantly. "So you said Gohan's teaching you how to fly?"

"Yeah, he has to teach me how to fly otherwise I'll tell everyone he's the Great Saiyaman!" Videl grinned. "Just out of interest, is he the golden warrior too?"

"Nope, just the Great Saiyaman," Hairiyu lied.

"... Alright then, if you say so... I'll leave you to you 'helping your mum out'," Videl waved, heading for the entrance.

"Oh, before you go..." Hairiyu interrupted, "... just out of curiosity, why'd you cut your hair? It suits you!"

"Thanks... I cut it so no one could pull on my hair and so it doesn't get in my eyes for the Budokai," Videl replied before turning to leave the building.

Hairiyu wandered outside and watched as Videl took out her capsule and revealed her plane. As the engines roared into life Hairiyu gave a wave and watched as she vanished. She breathed a small sigh of relief.

"... So who was that?" Trunks asked, startling his sister! She hadn't been expecting him to be standing beside her.

"I'll tell you later," Hairiyu answered. "... Things just got a little more complicated."


	76. Chapter 075

**Chapter 075 - Day Of The Budokai**

Once Videl had left in her single-seater jet, Hairiyu and Trunks returned indoors to grab some food. As mentioned by Trunks, their grandmother had cakes and other snacks readily prepared for them though Hairiyu didn't pick too much at these, preferring to eat something more substantial and healthier than cake! As the two ate, Hairiyu explained the story to her brother about her latest year at school. Though clearly more eager to stuff in as much food as he could, Trunks listened until finally his sister was done.

"Oh... so that's the girl who blackmailed Gohan?" Trunks gave a big nod of realisation, swallowing a mouthful of drink before grabbing onto one of the sandwiches left by his sister. "She looked like a grouchy, mean girl! Why didn't you beat her up?"

"I'm more civilised than that," Hairiyu replied wryly rolling her eyes at her brother's suggestion; all his suggestions seemed to revolve around beating people up. "Beating up someone isn't the answer to everything – no matter what dad tells you! As it is she now knows about my powers so we're gonna have to be careful training if she comes over again..." She noticed the unsure look on her brother's face, "... what I mean is no Super Saiyan. We don't want Videl to find out about that."

Trunks frowned looking as if he'd been forbidden to play with one of his toys, "Fine... but I still think you should-"

"No! I'm not beating anyone up!"

-

Training continued and soon Vegeta took over Trunks' training, deciding the boy needed a 'more experienced' teacher as opposed to a 'lenient, soppy and soft' teacher! Though initially annoyed over her father's inconsiderate choice of words, this left Hairiyu to continue her training alone, allowing her to become more intense and use more energy. She trained every day for as long as possible, spending a day off a week to rest and relax.  
Unlike Gohan, Hairiyu had been forced to keep up her training, mainly because of her father but also because at the end of the day it helped her to stay strong and keep fit! It allowed her to vent out any of her frustrations gathered from school or socialising and allowed her to continue developing her skills as a fighter. Without it she doubted she'd be where she was now!

She didn't visit anyone, not wanting to disrupt their training. Often she'd stay in the gravity room under as much gravity as Trunks was whilst he trained alongside their father. Other days she'd venture off to different locations when things were getting too stressful, allowing her muscles a chance to relax under normal gravity. As the day grew closer and closer, she intensified her training, then finally stopped it all a couple of days before the deadline in order to relax and rest her body.

Soon the day arrived.

The group were to gather in three stages, starting with those at Capsule Corp rising early to collect the others. Yamcha, Puar and Oolong had all met the Brief family prior to leaving. The sun was barely peering over the smaller buildings of the city as the large carrier slowly ascended and moved onwards in an easternly direction. Hairiyu'd sat herself on one of the many sofa-type seats her mother and grandfather had installed the night before to keep the many passengers as comfy as possible. The scenery around them changed slowly, at one point she felt her body jolt and realised she'd started to dose off! Early morning starts weren't her best, she just hoped she wouldn't fall asleep in the tournament itself!

Soon the ship made its first landing outside Mount Paozu. Trunks was pleased to see Goten boarding; the two seating themselves away from the adults both peering out the window. Whilst Gyu Mao found himself a seat at the back, Hairiyu scooted over for Chichi and Gohan to settle themselves down, choosing to stare out the window. Soon the grassy field fell below them, the tops of the trees soon following as the now slightly larger group headed in a south-south-west direction to pick up the final members of their group. The world below them changed from forests growing across mountains to more open, grassy plains, eventually giving way to the large ocean below. A quick stop off at Kame House meant that finally the gang could head to their destination. The island where the Tenkaichi Budokai was being held.

"Is Goku really coming?" Bulma asked, peering over her shoulder as she piloted the large plane.

"Of course he is!" Gohan nodded.

"I can't wait!" Master Roshi grinned anticipating seeing his ex-pupil once more.

"Aren't you going to be competing Yamcha?" Chichi asked noticing the fighter didn't seem dressed for battle, nor did he seem to have any luggage.

Yamcha chuckled and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "Nah, I'll just embarrass myself!"

Hairiyu was now sat beside Master Roshi much to her discomfort, still glancing out the window at the sea below. It was an old habit of hers from her younger days; whenever her mother would take her somewhere in any of her jet planes, Hairiyu would watch the scenery change below them. She paid little mind to the conversation going on around them although she paid a decent amount of attention to the pervert sitting next to her, in case he tried anything!

"... By the way Vegeta – and this includes Goten and Trunks and Hairiyu..." the mention of her name caught her attention and she looked over to Gohan. "Could we go without being Super Saiyans for the tournament?"

"Why?" Vegeta asked.

"Think about it," Bulma explained, "You were on the television during the Cell Games; they might recognise you if you transform. They'd get your name and address from the roster and then the media would be all over my front yard!"

"Then you'd know what I have to go through at High School!" Gohan chuckled.

_'Not that you didn't bring it upon yourself Mr Saiyaman,'_ Hairiyu muttered in her mind.

"I don't see what the problem is," Vegeta muttered. "When those reporters come I'll just rip their heads off!"

"Not your best idea, dad," Hairiyu snorted, chin resting on her hand as she stared back out the window again.

"Fine, whatever!" Vegeta responded, "If nobody's a Super Saiyan we'll be on equal terms. Of course I'll still hold the advantage!"

"That's fine with us," Trunks agreed, Goten silently nodding with his usual smile.

"Well that's a relief! I might even stand a chance!" Krillin sighed with relief. "You know fighting a Super Saiyan's like trying to fight a steam roller with your hands tied behind your back!"

"Pipe down!" Vegeta barked.

"Hey, look guys," Bulma smiled ignoring Vegeta's outburst, "There's the island the tournament's being held on!"

"Come to think of it... didn't you say you were going to make yourself a costume?" Gohan asked Hairiyu, finally noticing she was still wearing casual clothes.

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded. "Don't worry, I have something..."She pointed to the small bag at her feet resting against the wall of the craft.

Soon the plane started to descend upon the island, the small child in Android Eighteen's arms babbling something Hairiyu couldn't quite make out as the craft finally struck the ground with a jolt. The engines were shut off and Bulma opened up the rear door for everyone to disembark. Once the plane had been returned to its capsule state, the large group started to make their way through the ever growing crowds, passing through the main gates of the tournament arena.

Hairiyu had considered the fact that as this was the world martial arts tournament there would be a fair number of people here. She wasn't expecting the crowds they were currently facing - and this was just inside the large gates shutting off the grounds to the rest of the island! They weren't even in the proper stadium yet, just how busy was today going to be?

"I can't stand crowds..." Bulma muttered.

"There sure are a lot of people here!" Krillin agreed.

"I wonder if Goku's here yet..." Yamcha mused.

Hairiyu glanced around as she heard a crowd to her left start screaming. Barely able to see over the heads, she spotted a large jet plane with what appeared to be the word Satan written on it. It looked as if Mr Satan and Videl had arrived judging by the hoards of people rushing over towards the area screaming his name and running as fast as possible!

"Mr Satan huh? The hero of Earth!" Krillin chuckled.

"Why is he so popular?" Bulma asked rhetorically.

Hairiyu zoned out from the screaming crowds and continued to look around, peering for any signs of Piccolo or Goku. Piccolo had mentioned to Hairiyu he'd make his own way to the tournament when she'd visited him and the others on Kame's lookout. She couldn't see either he nor Goku amongst the packed swarm of hysterical people. The wind gently brushed past her, her hair which had been tied back into a ponytail tickling her neck a little, much to her annoyance. She'd gotten into part of her costume just before they'd landed; it wasn't anything that stood out like Gohan's Great Saiyaman clothes but she hoped it would do the trick! She'd tied her hair back into a ponytail and placed a turquoise bandana over her head, brushing some strands of her fringe together to give herself a slightly different look. She'd change into the rest of her outfit once they'd arrived. She hoped it would be enough!

"Gohan, it's Piccolo!" Goten cried. His voice brought Hairiyu back to reality and she turned to spot the Namekian standing under the shade of some trees. She and Gohan approached their former mentor.

"Hey Piccolo, you look well," she smiled pleased to see him.

"Have you seen my dad?" Gohan asked.

"Not yet," Piccolo shook his head, almost double-taking as he set eyes on Gohan "... Are you really going to wear that?"

"Yeah, of course!" Gohan nodded, "Piccolo I'm telling you this is the pinnacle of cool! Right Hairiyu?"

"Uh... right!" Hairiyu nervously laughed.

That familiar ki suddenly flared up into her head. Hairiyu's head spun around - as did several others - as Goku landed on his feet before them, Fortune-teller Baba beside him sitting upon her crystal ball.

"Hey guys! I'm back!" The Saiyan greeted his stunned friends with his usual warm smile.

It was him! Hairiyu felt so strange seeing Goku standing before her and the others. She suddenly felt overemotional, feeling her eyes beginning to sting. It was as if what had happened seven years ago at the Cell Games had come back again; the halo above Goku's head being a reminder that his soul belonged to the dead now.

"Wow, you've all changed a lot in seven years!" Goku grinned. "How've you all been? ... Are you all just gonna stand there like statues?"

"...Goku!"

Several people including Gohan and Krillin had rushed forwards to hug the dead warrior, Hairiyu simply standing beside Piccolo and wiping a lose tear away, cursing herself a little for letting it slip in public. Still she was happy to see the former protector of Earth, even if there was a halo above his head.

"I missed you Goku!" Chichi sniffed unable to get to her husband as currently he was being swamped by Gohan, Krillin and Yamcha!

"I missed you too Chichi," Goku replied, smile dropping to a curious look as he spotted Goten hiding behind Chichi's leg. "H-Hey, I think there's a little-me standing behind your leg, Chichi!"

Hairiyu giggled in adoration as a shy, bashful Goten peered around from behind his mother cautiously and introduced himself, "... I'm Goten."

Goku made his way over towards his wife and second son, smiling and standing a couple of feet away as he squatted down to Goten's level. "My name's Goku. Hi there." He greeted the unsure child. For a moment neither father nor son did anything until finally Goten broke free and rushed with open arms towards the man before him.

"Daddy!"

Goku embraced his son and picked him up, placing him on his shoulder, "Whoa, you're a strong one aint ya?" For a moment he and Goten began to play airplane, Goku gently moving his son around in the air as the others admired the scene. Hairiyu felt so happy for Gohan, Goten and Chichi, particularly Goten since it was the first time he'd ever seen his dad. It was definitely a touching scene and she was glad to be a part of it.

"Remember Goku, you have twenty-four hours," Baba instructed not really wanting to hang around for long.

"Right. Thank you Baba!" Goku waved as Baba floated away.

The gang soon had to move on towards the registration desks so the fighters could register for the tournament. The queue here wasn't too long though Bulma'd mentioned usually the desks were open for a few hours before the tournament started.

"The Great what...?" One of the officials sitting behind the desk spluttered unsure he'd heard the name correctly, eyeing up the costume before him.

"The Great Saiyaman," Gohan repeated.

"... Hey, what's with the name and the costume?" Goku asked.

"It's my super hero name; I'm entering as the Great Saiyaman to hide my identity," Gohan explained. "Pretty cool huh?"

"Uh, sure!" Goku grinned.

Hairiyu stepped forward to the desk to register her name once Gohan had cleared the line. "Name please?" The man at the desk asked.

"Yuu," Hairiyu answered.

Goku and Gohan both turned around confused.

"Thank you, Yuu," the man wrote down the name snorting to himself at the small joke he'd made in his mind. "Next!"

"Yuu?" Gohan repeated as Hairiyu stepped to the side and joined them. "Is that your alias?"

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded, "I just took the last couple of letters from my name and extended them a little; I couldn't think of anything else to do!"

"Are you sure that's gonna be enough to hide your identity?" Gohan asked unsure. "You're not exactly hiding your face either. Don't you have any glasses?"

"I'm not trying to be secretive, just trying to give the impression I'm someone else!" Hairiyu folded her arms, "You're being a super hero; I'm just being a regular eighteen-year-old martial artist! It would be suspicious if I hid my face like you!"

"What?" An exclamation of horror from her brother caught her attention. "Hey Goten, kids under fifteen don't compete with the adults!"

"What?" Goten gasped.

"That's new," Bulma peered over the two boys, "So you'll be in the youth division?"

Trunks turned to the man at the desk, "No thanks, we wanna fight with the adults!" He protested.

"No can do, rules are rules," the man sternly answered leaning forward a little in his seat.

Hairiyu giggled to herself as her brother and Goten both pouted. She was glad she wasn't a kid; being faced up to the normal kids would be incredibly dull!

Eventually everyone competing had signed up; Goku, Gohan, Goten, Piccolo, Krillin, Eighteen, Hairiyu, Trunks, and Vegeta were all signed up and ready to compete. It was time to bid their family and friends farewell.

"Good luck Trunks, do your best in the junior division," Bulma patted her son on the head before turning to her daughter, "Make sure you're careful fighting anyone other than our friends!"

"I'll be ok," Hairiyu responded. "Just gotta hope that dad doesn't use an inappropriate amount of strength against the regulars!"

"See you later!" Gohan waved as the fighters began to leave.

"Don't hurt yourselves!" Bulma called.

-

The walk to the stadium wasn't too far; Goku was asking Krillin about his recently grown hair. Piccolo and Vegeta were leading the group. Hairiyu walked a little further back by herself just in front of Eighteen, lost in her own thoughts. The nerves were starting to get to her. She was about to fight against other people, potentially her friends, in front of what she anticipated to be a very large crowd! That alone was daunting but the fact she also held super-human strength and powers just made it all the more nerve-wracking. She knew she couldn't transform into a Super Saiyan no matter what. Yet how much strength should she use if she came up against one of her friends? Were ki blasts allowed? What if her disguise came loose and people could see who she really was? Would there be TV crews around?

"Hi! Where are you from?"

Hairiyu looked up and gulped; a television reporter and her camera man stood before Goku, Krillin and Gohan. So there would be television broadcasts of the tournament!

"I'm from the afterlife," Goku answered, pointing to the sky... or to his halo; either way Hairiyu began to panic!

The reporter stared and began to nervously laugh, "Y-You're funny! ... So tell me, what's that fashion accessory over your head?"

"It's not an accessory," Goku explained, "You get it when you die. See-"

Suddenly the camera exploded causing both reporter and camera-man to shriek! Hairiyu's eyes glanced over to Piccolo; she'd sensed the slight fluctuation in his ki and quickly caught on, flashing him a smile and breathing a sigh of relief. That was one camera which wouldn't get her on TV!

She joined the others as they wandered past the reporter and camera-man, Hairiyu glancing over as the reporter shouted angrily, blaming him for their loss of recording!

They quickly reached the changing rooms, one official warning them of the shortage of time they had. Hurriedly Hairiyu found a secluded area and quickly changed into her fighting clothes; a blue sleeveless top and matching trousers as always, with light blue wrist bands and sash around her stomach, fully wrapped around, and Saiyan boots mimicking those of her father's. She kept the bandana on and her hair tied back, making sure her fringe looked slightly different from usual before rushing out to meet the others.

Once Krillin, Trunks and her father emerged the group continued on, reaching the preliminary grounds. Hairiyu's jaw dropped as she glanced around, seeing all the potential competitors. Most of them were human; a couple dozen humanoid animal martial artists also present. Naturally they were nothing compared to her and her friends.

"Oh! It's you!"

Hairiyu turned to see a blonde man wearing a suit and glasses rushing over to them; she had no idea who he was but both Goku and Krillin greeted him like a friend.

"This is a great day! I never thought I'd see you guys again!" The man spoke with enthusiasm, "It's been so many years! Tell me, it was you who beat Cell, not that Mr Satan? Right Goku?"

Hairiyu smiled; he seemed to be one of the few humans who actually had a brain between those ears! Judging by how he, Goku and Krillin were conversing with one another she guessed he'd worked here when Goku and the others had participated in the Budokai when they were younger. She'd have to run this by the others later just to make sure.

"It's been miserable without you!" The man continued. "The tournament had been nothing but capital B boring! There's been nothing like the competition you guys showed us!" he glanced around at the others, "... so are these all friends of yours?"

"Yeah, more or less," Goku nodded.

"Great! This'll be fantastic!" The man grinned, head tilting up to glance at Piccolo. "Just try not to destroy the ring this time, ok?"

"We'll try," Piccolo replied with a slight smirk.

"I've gotta ask you something though... what's that ring above your head?" The man asked referring to the halo above Goku's head.

"Oh, I got this because I died in the battle against Cell but I'm allowed to come back for one day," Goku explained.

The man seemed mystified for a moment before laughing and raising his hands, "Well that sounds weird but knowing you guys I'll believe anything! If you say you're dead then you're dead! I'd be a fool to start doubting you now!"

_'I think I'm starting to like this guy!'_ Hairiyu mused to herself; it was incredibly rare for her to meet a regular human who knew her friends and would happily accept what they told them – the truth! Why couldn't more humans be like this?

"Your attention please! The preliminaries are about to begin!" A voice over the loudspeaker announced. "There are one-hundred-and-ninety-four participants in this year's adult's division; only sixteen can compete! The reigning champion Mr Satan is automatically seeded so that leaves fifteen available spots!"

"Well listen, I've gotta run," the blonde man waved, "I'll see you all in the ring!"

A small pudgy official was at the front of the crowd with a microphone. "Attention all competitors; the slot placements will be allocated through display of strength. Participants will line up and demonstrate this through the use of a punch machine! The highest scorers will pass through to the competition!"

"Punch machine?" Krillin repeated surprised and a little worried. "That's new!"

"To demonstrate the kind of strength you'll be up against, our current world champion Mr Satan will give us a demonstration!" The official continued. "Mr Satan, come in please!"

Dry ice was suddenly sprayed across one of the many entrances; Mr Satan jumping out and cheering as the fighters began to cheer and clap. "Is there any man here who can beat me?" The tall moustached man jeered confidently, causing a large roar to come up from the crowds.

"There's a whole group of us here..." Krillin muttered under his breath.

It was incredible. As soon as Mr Satan had stepped up to the strange-looking punch machine, every man, woman and beast had whipped out a camera! Hairiyu raised an eyebrow unimpressed as the world champion began to pose as the barrage of camera flashes went off. It was sickening; this guy was such a poser!

Without warning the cameras all exploded, smoke pouring out of them as the bewildered spectators looked dumbfounded at their destroyed cameras! She had her suspicions. Hairiyu looked over as Gohan questioned Piccolo.

"I've destroyed every camera in the arena," Piccolo answered. "Now you can fight freely without anyone knowing your identity, even if your disguises fail."

"I see, thanks Piccolo!" Gohan smiled.

"Thank you Piccolo," Hairiyu nodded relieved.

"Hey, I'm gonna go find Videl," Gohan whispered, "She's probably around here somewhere so I'll let her know we're here too!"

"Alright," Hairiyu smirked smug, "Go find Videl. Just behave yourself, alright Gohan?"

"Um... what?" Gohan stared clueless at her, "... of course I'll behave... what did you think I was gonna do? I'm a hero of justice!" He walked over to his father to tell him where he was going before dashing off into the crowds.

Hairiyu giggled to herself; Gohan was so dense and naive! She could see what was happening between the two of them. She knew Gohan better than he seemed to know himself!

Despite the loss of cameras to take pictures and record his oncoming punch, Mr Satan took his stance, legs apart and arms by his side. He began to hum lowly, Hairiyu watched patiently as she felt his ki begin to surge, although it was nothing like what she was used to feeling. With a loud roar the man stepped forwards and punched the cushioned part of the strange contraption. The small display on top began to beep, numbers flashing wildly until finally it settled on one-hundred-and-thirty-seven.

"Incredible! Mr Satan has scored one-hundred-and-thirty-seven points!" The chubby official cried enthusiastically.

_'One-hundred-and-thirty-seven... I'm gonna have to restrain myself a lot if I'm not gonna stand out too much against his score...'_ Hairiyu noted to herself. The crowd around her were going wild for their champion as he made his way back towards the building.

"Best of luck to you all!" Mr Satan cheered. "I hope one of you can at least make me sweat!"


	77. Chapter 076

**Chapter 076 - The Junior Division**

"Alright, everyone take a number and line up," the official instructed. "When I call your number, please step up to the punch machine."

"All the kiddies in the Junior Division, please follow me!" A taller and older official waved his hand.

"Good luck you guys," Hairiyu smiled at the two dejected-looking kids, "try not to use too much strength against the other kids!"

"Good luck kiddies!" Krillin chuckled with amusement.

"No fair..." Trunks muttered with arms folded as he and Goten left the adults and made their way over to their respective official, both sulking. Hairiyu guessed she couldn't blame them for feeling hard-done-by but rules were rules. She followed the others as they all grabbed a number slip from their own official and lined up.

"Hey, where's Tenshinhan?" Goku asked. "I don't see him anywhere."

"I doubt he's here," Krillin replied. "I think he said he didn't think we'd ever meet again."

Hairiyu had taken her place between Piccolo and her dad, waiting patiently for her turn to hit this punch machine. The line seemed to move steadily yet it seemed they'd been waiting for ages before finally they were next in line.

"... Number eighty-six!" The official called. It was Eighteen's turn.

"Remember Eighteen, don't use too much strength or you'll break the machine," Krillin mumbled as his wife made her way towards the strange machine.

"I know!" Eighteen grumbled. Hairiyu watched eagerly as Eighteen appeared to alter her strength, (though it was hard to tell since she couldn't sense her ki!) gently tapping the machine. The little display blipped and numbers flashed wildly before settling on one score. The number made her gulp and cringe.

"S-Seven-hundred-and-seventy-four?" The official literally screamed! Much of the crowd gasped in shock and disbelief. Hairiyu gulped nervously once more; so even the small amount of strength Eighteen seemed to have used was still too much? This would definately be an interesting challenge trying to hold back enough power!

"We seem to have a malfunction, sorry about that miss!" The official shakily smiled; he and a couple of other officials checking the machine over.

"That's what you call taking it easy?" Krillin grumbled.

"Oh shut up, it's hard to control!" Eighteen spat. "It's not my fault these guys are weaklings!"

"Come on Eighteen..." Hairiyu mumbled quietly to herself.

"Ok madam, the machine seems to be in working order," the official smiled. Once again Eighteen stepped up, this time taking a different stance. It looked as if she barely nudged it but the cushioning still shot back with some force. Still the numbers shocked everyone around them.

"... Two-hundred-and-three..." the official mumbled. This time he did not suggest a malfunction and Eighteen was free to move on. Next it was Krillin's turn. Judging from the ki she could feel from him, Krillin was holding back a lot of strength. Hairiyu made a mental note marking the amount of power he was radiating so she could at least try to mimic it. He gently jabbed the machine.

"Number eighty-five... One-hundred-and-ninety-two points..."

Next was Goku.

"Number eighty-six... one-hundred-and-eighty-six points..."

Then Piccolo.

"Number eighty-seven has two-hundred-and-ten... points..."

Now it was Hairiyu's turn. She tried to calm her beating heart as she stepped up to the strange looking machine. She took in a deep breath and held back as much ki as she could, tapping the machine as lightly and gently as possible. The numbers appeared up on the screen.

"Number eighty-eight... one-hundred-and-ninety-eight points..."

Hairiyu smiled satisfied pleased with the number she'd managed to attain and approached the rest of the group, "That was pretty scary!"

"I dunno about scary, fun's more like it!" Goku grinned. "I've never had to hold back so much!"

"Now stand aside!"

Hairiyu turned around to see her father strike the machine - gasping in horror as the punch machine shot straight into the brick wall behind it and then passed through it, crumpling and falling apart in a heap. That had been far too much power! Hairiyu hid her face in her hands and groaned, "Couldn't he have held back just a tiny amount?"

The crowds around them began to mutter amongst themselves at the display of her father's power. Hairiyu felt sorry for those who had been behind him in the line; just what were they supposed to do? Neither Gohan nor Videl had had their turns yet!

"Um..." the official spluttered through his microphone, "Th-The rest of you please wait patiently. We have a new punch machine on its way!"

Vegeta joined the rest of them; Hairiyu approached her dad, "What was that about? Was it too much to ask for you to hold back?" She grumbled.

"Hey Vegeta, do you wanna go watch the kids in the junior division?" Goku asked.

"Sure, why not," Vegeta muttered. "It's better than hanging out here!"

Annoyed her dad hadn't even answered, Hairiyu followed the others. She noticed Gohan and Videl were just up ahead and smiled in pity. She was glad she'd managed to jump in before her dad but felt bad they had to wait... but maybe that wasn't a bad thing...

"Huh? Your friend's a girl?" Goku gasped as they approached the two. "That is a girl, right?"

"Yeah, this is my friend Videl," Gohan nodded.

"Looks like you guys have gotta wait for the new punch machine, huh?" Hairiyu asked Videl.

"Y-Yeah..." Videl seemed quite shocked either from meeting the large group or from her father's recent antics!

Krillin chuckled slyly, "Nice going Gohan! She's pretty cute!"

"I-It's not like that," Gohan raised a hand defensively.

"We're going to watch the kids in the junior division. Come join us when you're done here," Goku smiled. "It was nice meeting you Videl."

"See you guys later," Hairiyu waved following the others off to the stands.

"Good luck Gohan!" Krillin grinned.

The walk to the stadium wasn't long at all and in the end the gang managed to find some spaces up at the top of the stands. They had a fantastic view of the stage below them.

"So how long has he had a girlfriend?" Krillin asked.

"If you're referring to Videl then she's in our class at High School," Hairiyu answered as they walked along the top of the stand looking for a decent spot to watch from, "they're not going out yet but give them time..."

Krillin smirked deviantly, "... aren't you jealous?"

Hairiyu raised a suspicious eyebrow, "... jealous of what?" She knew perfectly well what Krillin was getting at, especially with his tone of voice and smug look.

"Aww come on, we all thought you and Gohan would end up together!" Krillin grinned.

"Why? Just because he's my best friend?" Hairiyu grumbled embarrassed, "It's not like that between us, trust me! Gohan's more like a brother to me anyway!"

"Right, right," Krillin nodded, a hint of sarcasm in his voice which riled Hairiyu up further.

"He is!" Hairiyu protested. "Stop smirking like that Krillin!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Tenkaichi Budokai is about to begin!" The announcer's voice cut the argument short as he emerged onto the large stage in the centre of the grassy arena before them, the crowds quietening down a little. Hairiyu recognised him as the blonde man from earlier. "Before that, we have the Junior Division for kids fifteen and under! The winner will take home ten million zeni, the runner up five million! What's more, the winner will get an extra special treat – the chance to go toe-to-toe with the man himself! Yes you guessed it – the saviour of the world and reigning world champion – Mr Satan!"

The crowds went wild as the hero himself jumped out from one of the entrances, cheering back at the crowds before running towards the ring. He leapt over the announcer at quite a height, heading straight for the tiled ring. Feet touched the tiles... slipped...

The champion crashed onto his head!

Hairiyu couldn't help but snort, trying to keep her laughter in as Mr Satan rolled across the arena grasping his head; the crowds quickly quieting down as their saviour continued struggling.

"A-Are you alright?" The announcer asked worried.

Hurriedly Mr Satan stood up straight and grinned, "I'm joking!" He roared down the microphone.

Hairiyu rolled her eyes as the crowds around them cheered and cried out Mr Satan's name in unison.

"So then Mr Satan, how are you feeling today and what is your prediction for the tournament?" The announcer asked.

"Unfortunately for my opponents, I'm healthier than ever!" Mr Satan sneered.

"You're also set to fight the winner of the Junior Division," The announcer added.

"Uh oh, I hope he goes easy on me!" Mr Satan joked, getting responses of laughter from the crowds.

_'We'd all better hope that's the case; no doubt he'll end up against Trunks or Goten...'_ Hairiyu mused seriously to herself.

"Thank you Mr Satan," The announcer smiled, "Now let's get the junior division started!"

"... You know, the Budokai is more like a party now," Krillin mumbled.

"The stage is bigger than before too," Goku added.

"Maybe so but the soul seems smaller," Piccolo muttered unimpressed.

"As you know there are no preliminaries for the Junior Division. We have thirty-five kids with us today! The rules are the same as the adults; if they give up, fall out of the ring, lose consciousness or go down for ten counts, they're out!" The announcer cried. "Let's get the first match underway! First match is Bart age twelve, against Peperrone age fourteen!"

One by one the children's matches carried on. Hairiyu watched quickly growing bored at the obvious lack of skill any of these kids had; many of the younger ones would start crying more or less from one hit! She felt sorry for them; Goten and Trunks were amongst them and probably had little idea of how weak their opponents would be...

Soon it was Trunks' turn.

"Match number nine - Trunks age eight, vs. Idasa age fifteen!" The announcer called.

The two boys stepped out onto the ring; Idasa towering a full head over Trunks and looking pretty smug. Hairiyu leant over the railings to get a better view, "Trunks, go easy on him!" She called.

"Do ok!" Krillin cheered. "If he did his best he could really hurt that guy!"

"Begin!" The announcer cried.

_'Remember Trunks, go easy on him,'_ Hairiyu gulped and watched carefully.

Trunks slipped low to the ground and tripped his opponent, booting him up into the sky with one swift kick to the spine. The teenager landed on his face hard on the stage, Trunks not even bothering to see if he was still conscious as he walked off towards the edge of the stage.

"M-My goodness, this boy's out cold!" The announcer cried, checking the twitching Idasa, "Trunks advances!"

"Well that wasn't very entertaining. Guess we'll just have to wait until Trunks and Goten fight each other..." Krillin mumbled bored.

Several more matches passed. Eventually it was Goten's turn.

"Match sixteen is underway! Goten age seven, vs. Ikose age fourteen!"

Hairiyu blinked a couple of times and raised an eyebrow, "... Does Goten's opponent remind you of Trunks' opponent?"

"Yeah, he kinda looks like him," Krillin nodded. "The hair colour's different but the style's the same... Guess we know how this will end!"

It ended just as predicted. Goten blocked every single one of the boy's moves, even when Ikose went all out. With one punch Goten knocked his opponent out cold, passing through to the next round.

The battles went on and on; Trunks and Goten having no troubles advancing through to the next rounds.

Eventually it came down to the finals. It was Trunks against Goten.

"Finally a match worth watching!" Krillin smiled as the announcer introduced the finalists.

"Yeah," Goku agreed.

Hairiyu looked over about to speak when she noticed Gohan and Videl approaching them, "Hey, took you guys long enough!"

"Sorry, the preliminaries finally finished!" Gohan apologised.

"What took you so long?" Krillin smirked, "Oh I see, you were just hanging out with your girlfriend!"

"K-Krillin it's not like that – we're friends!" Gohan protested blushing.

"Whatever," Krillin laughed.

"That new punch machine must have taken a while, huh?" Goku smiled. "You're just in time; Goten and Trunks' match is about to start!"

Both boys got into fighting stance, waiting until finally the gong rang. In a flash the fight began as a barrage of punches and kicks were thrown out in a fast-paced match. The two kids quickly took to the skies, dodging, evading and attacking. Both teleported out of harm's way and joined up again in a melee of fists.

"Look at them go!" Goku grinned impressed.

The two landed back onto the arena stage. The crowds had fallen silent over the display of these two competitors' powers.

"Goten and Trunks are pretty good," Goku spoke with a smile on his face.

"Way better than I expected," Krillin agreed. "This is great!"

The crowds quickly perked up and began to cheer, urging the two fighters for more action. Trunks and Goten seemed to be talking down on stage for a little while until Trunks drew his hands back; Hairiyu recognising that stance from past battles with her brother. _'Control it Trunks.'_

"Is he going to fire a ki attack from there?" Gohan gasped.

"That idiot, he'll hit the crowd!" Krillin cried.

"It's ok, Trunks has control," Hairiyu replied, not as worried as Krillin and Gohan but she couldn't quite relax knowing her brother was about to fire an attack in such an enclosed space.

"He's in complete control," Goku agreed. "He's too good not to have a plan!"

Trunks fired the energy attack, Goten jumping and avoiding it, leaving the spectators behind him in the firing line. Hurriedly and with little struggle, Trunks tossed his hands up; the energy beam mimicking the movement and shooting above the crowds up into the sky.

_'Just like you were trained to do, nice one Trunks,'_ Hairiyu sighed and smiled to herself, proud of her little brother. Her smile quickly dropped as Goten got into that familiar stance; he was going to fire a Kamehameha.

"Gohan, did you teach Goten that?" She asked.

"Yeah, he's only just learnt it though, I'm not so sure how this is gonna go!" Gohan nodded nervously.

Goten fired the turtle destructive wave at his foe, Trunks tilting to the side avoiding the attack. The Kamehameha took out part of the waiting room roof as it curved messily up into the sky!

"I guess he can't control it yet," Goku mumbled worried.

"I didn't think it would go as well, I didn't have enough time to teach Goten proper control of his energy," Gohan frowned.

"At least he didn't hit anyone," Hairiyu mumbled feeling slightly more nervous about the boys' use of ki! Her brother could handle it, Goten looked like he'd cause a problem or a serious accident!

"... No way..." Videl spluttered in shock, eyes wide and fingers gripping tightly onto the railings. She'd had her eyes pinned to the fight the entire time and it was only now she seemed to be able to find words!

Goten and Trunks once again charged at each other, meeting and grappling. Trunks seemed to hold the advantage as he tossed Goten over his shoulder into the air. The seven-year-old stopped in mid air floating around twenty feet above the arena; it seemed he hadn't noticed Trunks move. Hairiyu's eyes followed as her younger brother moved around the arena, closing in on Goten's back. He reappeared catching Goten in a strangle-hold. Goten struggled yet no matter what he tried, he wasn't strong enough to overcome Trunks' grip.

"Goten's in trouble..." Goku mumbled.

"That's my boy," Vegeta chuckled.

Hairiyu could hear her brother shouting but wasn't sure what he was saying. His grip was growing tighter, putting more strain on Goten's breathing. It seemed Goten had his father's determination not to give up, although she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing right now!

Goten's ki suddenly skyrocketed, exploding to new heights as his appearance changed. Hairiyu gasped in horror alongside Gohan as Goten transformed into a Super Saiyan, easily breaking free of Trunks' grip and landing on the stage below.

"Goten's a Super Saiyan?" Goku choked with shock.

"Goten you dope!" Gohan yelled.

"Kakarrot, that was a cheap shot!" Vegeta bellowed furiously.

"... Don't yell at me... Goten's the one that did it!"

"Whatever happened to not transforming?" Hairiyu muttered. "We told them not to do it!"

Trunks landed opposite his friend, the two caught in conversation again. Quickly the fight started up once more; Hairiyu a little confused at first as to why Trunks' movements had slowed and why he seemed not to be using his left arm. Had he damaged it? He couldn't have... So what was stopping him?

Goten clearly had the advantage, breaking through Trunks' defences on more than one occasion. One powerful kick sent Trunks a couple of shaky steps to the left. In retaliation he fired off a ki attack, Goten once again jumping into the sky, albeit at a much higher altitude than last time. Hairiyu had to crane her head right back to see him.

What was he planning to do from up there?

With a flash of white light Goten's ki shimmered around him as began to fly down towards the arena below, quickly reaching it heading directly down for Trunks.

At the last moment Trunks dashed to the side-

Before the realisation he'd hit the ground head-first came to mind, Goten pushed against the ground with his hands, hot on Trunks' heels. The lavender-haired boy hadn't seemed to have bargained for this yet kept his head, transforming into a Super Saiyan. Trunks evaded Goten's charge and fired off an energy blast, striking Goten in the back. The boy shot towards the crowd, several people running from their seats. Goten tried desperately to stop himself, using all his energy into slowing down.

His feet tapped the seating, much to his shock.

"Goten has landed out of bounds, making Trunks the winner of the Junior Division!" The announcer cried. The crowds began to cheer loudly, no doubt impressed and amazed with the bizarre battle they'd just witnessed. Hairiyu smiled and watched as her younger brother transformed down and landed on the staging, Goten joining him.

"Trunks can become a Super Saiyan as well?" Goku asked shocked.

"Don't feel too bad, my boy just comes from better stock!" Vegeta patted his rival on the back, clearly pleased with his son's victory.

"I still can't believe they both broke their promises," Hairiyu folded her arms, "they could have just blown our cover!"

"Now to follow that seat-gripping action..." the announcer walked onto the stage, "The winner of our Junior Division gets a special treat! Trunks about to battle the reigning world champion – Mr Satan!"

The crowds went wild enthusiastically cheering for Mr Satan to appear.

"Now the man you've all been waiting for – Mr Satan!" The announcer cheered.

Mr Satan stepped out of the waiting room and approached the ring, getting the crowd going with his poses and roars.

Hairiyu sighed and rested her arms on the railings. She knew how this would end which worried her; Videl was with them after all! What would her reaction be if Hairiyu's little brother knocked her dad out cold or worse...

"This guy's just too pitiful to watch," Krillin mumbled, "You guys wanna head back? The preliminaries should be over by now."

"Sure," Goku nodded.

Hairiyu nodded uncertain, following the others and taking one quick glance back at Trunks-

"H-Hey! I thought you guys were his friend!" Videl spoke up. "You're not even gonna watch him fight Mr Satan? Don't you wanna study his technique?"

"S-Sure, that sounds like a great idea!" Gohan spluttered. "What do you say you guys? This could be an incredible match!"

"We'll see you guys later," Goku waved as he and the majority of the gang minus Videl, Gohan and a reluctant Hairiyu left.

"... Well he is my little brother..." Hairiyu mused, leaning against the railings again, she knew exactly how this'd turn out and was a little nervous about hanging around with Videl. _'I just hope you don't do anything stupid, Trunks!'_

"I can't believe they wouldn't even stay... What nice friends you guys have!" Videl snorted sarcastically.

Hairiyu's eyes stayed on the stage as Mr Satan removed his cape and belt, tying a sash around his waist. To her surprise he began to shadow-box, probably to show off to the crowds. Hairiyu knew it would take far more than that to scare her brother, she just hoped he would go easy on him! Indeed he seemed unfazed, Trunks began to stretch his muscles which worried his sister. _'Oh please don't tell me you're gonna take this seriously?'_ She cried in her mind, _'Trunks sense the man's ki! It's tiny!'_

"Are you both ready? Then let's get started!" The announcer cried.

The crowds cheered in anticipation.

Hairiyu nervously glanced over to Videl before looking back to the stage – Mr Satan had gone down, clenching his knee. The announcer rushed over to check what the problem was. "... Oh, a knee injury from Cell?" He gasped.

"Yeah, I kept it a secret until now!" Mr Satan explained down the microphone. "It's such a shame; I really wanted to fight too!"

"I'll call the doctor over!" The announcer decided.

Mr Satan immediately sprung back up to his full height, much to Hairiyu's lack of surprise. So he was bluffing or stalling for time? She couldn't blame him. As dense and idiotic as the man could be, she was certain even he knew what he was up against!

"He's ok! Mr Satan can still fight!"

It was back on. Mr Satan approached Trunks and seemed to be talking to him; Hairiyu wondered what he was up to. After a while the champion rushed back to his place and the match began.

"Here we go! It's Mr Satan vs. the junior division champion Trunks!"

Trunks began to approach the towering man as he leaned down and seemed to give Trunks a clear shot of his cheek...

She was sure she knew what was going on and gulped.

Trunks' fist gently tapped the man, although to the untrained eye it would look as if he'd decked the man! Mr Satan was punched clean off his feet and sent straight into the brick wall close to the fighter's entrance. He fell and landed flat on his face.

The crowds were no longer cheering and were almost lost in a shocked silence.

_'That was way too hard Trunks!'_ Hairiyu nervously looked over to Videl; her wide eyes and shocked look gave it away.

"D-Dad...?" she croaked.

"You idiot, go light on him!" Hairiyu heard Gohan hiss under his breath.

Mr Satan was thankfully still alive and apparently still conscious. Shakily he rose to his feet and turned to the crowds, a gaping smile on his face as he staggered, "He beat me! He got me good! You're so strong kid – I lose!"

The crowds began to roar and cheer for their hero as Trunks was declared the winner. Mr Satan disappeared back into the building leaving a stunned and baffled Trunks on stage.  
Hairiyu sighed in relief. At least that crazy ordeal was over!

"There will be a thirty minute break until the senior division is underway!" The announcer declared. "The best is yet to come and will begin at one-forty!"

"Right, let's go find the others," Gohan decided.


	78. Chapter 077

**Chapter 077 - The Senior Division**

Now that the exhibition match between the Junior Division world champion and the current world champion was over, the trio decided to leave the stands and find the rest of their group. Sensing them amongst the thousands of people in the stadium wasn't too difficult.

"I feel bad for leaving Goten and Trunks to themselves," Hairiyu frowned as they wandered through the thinning crowds towards the special area designated for the competitors.

"They'll be fine, I'm sure they'd just go find out mothers and sit with them," Gohan responded, keeping one eye on an unusually quiet Videl who seemed to still be getting over the shock of seeing her father be sent dangerously fast through the air, off the arena and crashing into a nearby wall! "You ok?"

"Y-Yeah," Videl nodded.

"Wonder where the others went," Hairiyu mused.

"Knowing our dads, do you really have to ask?" Gohan cracked a smile, a small chuckle escaping his throat. "I'm sure dad's stocking up for the matches!"

"That's probably true!" Hairiyu snorted.

"Whoa, excuse me!" An official came rushing up to them, quickly darting in front of the three and holding his arms out wide as if to bar them from passing him. "This area is only designated for fighters of the Senior Division!"

"Fear not my good man, we're all competitors!" Gohan spoke in his Saiyaman voice.

"Oh?" The man eyed the trio up, reaching into one of his large pockets and pulling forth a sheet of paper. "Names please?"

"I am the Great Saiyaman!" Gohan replied enthusiastically.

"Yuu," Hairiyu smiled.

"Videl," Videl answered. It was at this point the official double-took and paled as if he'd seen a ghost.

"G-Goodness, so sorry Miss Videl!" He spluttered quickly standing to the side and bowing a little. "All of your names are indeed on the list! Please feel free to use the facilities we have provided for you! You can take a sauna, use the baths, swim, relax, or use our all-you-can-eat buffet!"

"Bingo!" Gohan grinned. "Buffet it is!" With that the three strode past the flustered official who quickly scurried away.

"I'm surprised he didn't recognise you," Hairiyu mused to Videl. "Guess it must be the new hair."

"Good to see you decided to take my advice," Gohan added, "At least this way no one can use it against you!"

"Y-Yeah," Videl looked away slightly, quickly noticing the intrigued look on Hairiyu's face.

A small smirk appeared on the heiress's face, she shuffled slightly closer to Videl as they walked. "You didn't quite mention how it was Gohan's idea for you to cut your hair," She probed quietly.

"So? It was for functional reasons!" Videl grumbled under her breath.

"That'd be a more convincing story if you weren't blushing and weren't avoiding eye contact!" Hairiyu giggled smug.

It didn't take long for the trio to find the others. Just as Gohan had guessed; if his dad was going to be anywhere it would be somewhere with food!

"Alright, it's chow time!" Gohan grinned in anticipation.

"Hey you guys, we ordered you some food!" Goku smiled through a mouthful of food, finally noticing the three warriors walking towards them.

Hairiyu smiled as the delicious and plentiful aromas hit her nose and throat, making her mouth water. She had to admit she was starting to get pretty hungry! Eager to settle her growling stomach she sat down beside her father and opposite Gohan and began to eat. She may not have the ferocity and speed her dad and Goku had when it came to eating but she could still stuff her face!

"Should you eat so much before a fight?" Krillin asked a little uneasy as he watched the Saiyans of the group shovel vast amounts of food into their mouths. "Does it even matter if you eat; you're dead!" This question was clearly directed towards Goku!

"I don't mind if I eat or not but the food here is delicious!" Goku answered, attention turning towards his son. "Oh, how did the fight go?"

"It was pretty interesting," Gohan answered, "Trunks beat Mr Satan with only one punch!"

"Everyone thinks he lost on purpose to be the good guy," Hairiyu added after quickly swallowing a mouthful of noodles. "He pulled it off pretty well!"

"What a guy, he should get an award for that!" Krillin chuckled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Videl flared up offended; Gohan quickly jumping on Krillin to cover his mouth.

"You don't know Krillin; he's always making jokes!" Gohan spluttered glaring down at Krillin, "Isn't that right? You never know when to stop, do you?"

"That's right... Now let go please!" Krillin agreed.

Quickly the plates built up in the centre of the large table, the waiters almost struggling to keep up with the demand! They did have four Saiyan stomachs to feed after all!

"This is really good food..." Gohan mumbled through his mouthfuls.

"Hey, can I get another serving?" Goku called. "Can we have some more spaghetti please?"

"And bring some more egg rolls while you're at it!" Vegeta barked.

"... You Saiyans are like bottomless pits!" Krillin exclaimed, now seemingly horrified at the amount of plates stacked before him, though why it was any news to him anymore, Hairiyu didn't know!

"What's a Saiyan?" Videl asked confused.

"Krillin!" Gohan growled.

"That's just Krillin's nicknames for me, Gohan and our dads; we eat a lot of food! It's just a random name he came up with!" Hairiyu hurriedly explained, sitting back and deciding she'd had enough for one helping. She didn't want to overindulge herself and hinder her fighting performance because of a full stomach!

Finally everyone was done. The group left the restaurant, leaving the workers to attempt to work out how they were going to wash up the large number of plates and restock their supplies!

"Wow, my stomach is so full!" Goku stretched, "If I have to fight any of you in the first round, please don't punch me in the gut!"

"You didn't eat anything," Gohan spoke to Videl, "Are you on a diet?"

"For your information Gohan, most competitors don't like to stuff their face before a match," Krillin explained.

"The lottery should be starting soon," Eighteen mumbled. "Maybe we should check to see who's fighting who..."

"Well if I end up fighting Kakarrot, the first thing I'm going to do is punch him in the gut!" Vegeta smirked.

"Aww man, no mercy!"

It was only now Hairiyu noticed two strange-looking people stood in their path a little way ahead. From her first look she immediately knew they weren't human. One of them was tall, had dark pink skin and long white hair; he looked very serious and quite old. The other was tiny compared to his partner; he too had white hair in a mohawk style, had pale purple skin and wore similar clothes to his partner. He was suspended just above the ground. Their ki scared her. Something about how it felt was strange and a little unnerving.

The group stopped a little ways before them.

"... He's floating..." Videl muttered nervously.

"Hello," the shorter man spoke with a hint of calmness and refinement in his smooth-sounding voice, "you must be Son Goku."

"Hey, how'd you know my name?" Goku asked.

"I've heard about you, I've always wanted to spar with you," the man replied, a strange smile on his face. "It's not that I'm confident I can beat you, it's just that I want to have the greatest challenge and I know you're a man who understands that... May I shake your hand?"

"...Sure," Goku reached out to grab the man's hand. He seemed unnerved as soon as both hands made contact.

"... You have a good soul, just as I've heard," the man muttered retracting his hand, feet touching the ground as he bowed, "I'll see you later." With that, he and the other man walked on ahead.

Piccolo approached Goku, "... and who was that?"

"I dunno," Goku replied, "Whoever they are, they're strong; real strong!"

"Really? They didn't look that strong to me," Krillin seemed unconvinced.

"No, there was something about those guys that gave me the chills," Hairiyu shook her head, "they're more than what they let on, they have to be. I don't know why else I would feel that."

"They're not from Earth," Piccolo muttered. "I'm not sure where they're from... why would aliens be here?"

"Not sure," Goku replied.

"Hey..." Videl whispered quietly, "What does he mean not from Earth?"

"Oh... Piccolo's a little crazy," Gohan replied.

"Yeah... he looks really ill too; he's green!" Videl mumbled.

Hairiyu smirked and rolled her eyes; she wondered if Piccolo could hear them! "Why don't we just go and check the lottery?" She suggested.

"May as well, it should be starting," Krillin agreed.

The group continued to wander down the pathway ahead and eventually made it to the area the lottery was being held in. Passing under a small archway, they were brought into what looked like a large courtyard of the stadium, packed with many different fighters, most of which were eager to show off their moves.

"Ah, everyone's here," the announcer was ready and waiting with a clipboard and pen. "Let's start the lottery. There are sixteen slots available, of course Mr Satan has already been selected which leaves only fifteen slots left! The matches will be decided by who picks what number from the box before you all. Please step up and collect a number as soon as I call your name!"

Hairiyu looked around at the other fighters. Sure enough the two mysterious men they'd met were here. To their right were two other men; a short man with long blonde hair and a rather stout and tall man with a ponytail. They were typical human athletes. Across the other side was a strange looking man; his torso was really long yet his limbs seemed abnormally short...

_'Is that some kind of deformity?'_ Hairiyu wondered, finding herself a little uncomfortable looking at him.

Just past the strange man were a couple of muscular bald men; both looked very pale and pumped up as if they were on steroids, veins bulging out at the surface of their skin. Both looked quite agitated so Hairiyu quickly drew her attention away from them!

"Please pay attention as I call your names... First up is Kibito!" the announcer called.

The taller of the two mystery men stepped up to the small box, reaching in and taking a ball out. He handed it to the announcer.

"Number seven."

One of the officials wrote Kibito's name up on the board which displayed the layout of the matches.

"Next up is Krillin!"

Krillin stepped up, "I hope I don't get a match too early on," he smiled as he approached the box, pulling out a number.

"Number one!" The announcer called.

Hairiyu smirked and giggled as Krillin walked back! "Sorry Krillin, I think you jinxed yourself!"

"Next; the Great Saiyaman!"

Gohan stepped forward and withdrew a ball.

"Number eight!"

Hairiyu looked over to the board and gulped; Gohan was facing that Kibito guy.

Goku approached his son as he returned back to the group, putting a hand on his shoulder, "He's a tough guy but remember the warrior fights with the mind."

"R-Right... with the mind..." Gohan nodded.

"Number Eighteen... Is that your real name?" the announcer asked as Eighteen approached him.

"My father was pretty dull..." Eighteen sarcastically answered. She took out a ball and lightly threw it, the announcer struggling to catch it. "now I'm number nine..."

"Number Eighteen is... uh... number nine and in match five... Next up is Shin!"

The shorter of the two strange men walked up; Hairiyu keeping her eyes closely on him. She hoped she wouldn't end up having to face him in the first round. She wanted to see just what he and his partner were capable of. She wasn't sure how Gohan would fare against his opponent...

"Number three," Shin smiled.

"Alright... Spopovich?" The announcer called. "... Spopovich, are you here?"

"H-Here, coming!"

The strange masked deformed-looking man rushed up.

"Aren't you Mighty Mask?" The announcer asked.

"I'm Spopovich!" The taller of the pale, steroid-looking guys approached looking pretty agitated!

Hairiyu watched confused as the strange masked man wandered off. _'... I wonder if he has a hearing impairment too...'_

"Spopovich has drawn number six!" The announcer called. "Next up is Jewel!"

The blonde-haired human man stepped forward and drew a number. "... I'm number sixteen."

Hairiyu looked back at the board. There were still a couple of slots which had no opponents in them; both match six and match seven were free of fighters. This began to worry her; she still hadn't been called and neither had Goku or her dad!

"Son Goku, come and draw a number!"

Goku smiled and walked ahead, rummaging around in the small box before taking out one of the green balls.

"Goku is number eleven. Yuu, you're next!"

Hairiyu gulped and nervously stepped forward, glancing at the board once again. She could still end up fighting Krillin, Shin, Spopovich, Eighteen, Goku or Jewel... or she could end up against her dad or Piccolo who both still had to draw numbers! Just as long as it wasn't Videl!

Anxiously she reached into the box and took out the first ball she found...

Number fourteen.

She was in match seven.

"Number fourteen," the announcer called. "Looks like we still have to draw you an opponent!"

_'Crap!'_ Hairiyu frowned. _'So who's it gonna be... dad, Piccolo or Videl? My luck sucks!'_

She walked back looking almost defeated as Videl was called up.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Gohan asked.

"I'm gonna end up fighting one of you guys..." Hairiyu frowned. "I would have liked to have won at least one of my rounds!"

"What – did she say dad?" Goku gasped, hearing Videl ask the announcer the whereabouts of her father. "Mr Satan's her dad?"

"Yeah," Gohan nodded.

"She doesn't look like him at all!" Krillin exclaimed, "She's pretty cute! You just throw some of that charm-"

"It's not like that!" Gohan protested.

"Videl is number five!"

"... At least that's one thing I don't have to worry about," Hairiyu added glancing at the board. "... Videl's fighting that weird Spopovich guy... Something about him and his buddy looks off."

"Yeah, they look pretty pale," Gohan agreed. "Videl should have no trouble against him."

"Looks like I'll be seeing you in the second round, eh Gohan?" Videl smiled.

"That depends on if I win my first match!" Gohan chuckled.

"Punta is number two!"

Krillin span around with a smile on his face, "... That's my opponent? And I was worried!"

The tall, fat man approached the small fighter, "Are you Krillin?"

"Yep," Krillin nodded confidently.

"I don't take pity on a guy just because he's a shrimp!" Punta jeered, "I'm sending you out on a stretcher!"

"I take it the body shape is there to accommodate the amount of hot air this guy has?" Hairiyu snorted to herself.

"That's the kind of talk I expect from an incompetent fighter," Krillin sighed, "I can already see how this is gonna end!"

"What? You brat!" Punta sneered. "That does it. You'd better make out your will!"

"Vegeta, you're next!" The announcer called.

Hairiyu's head spun, her heart pounding as her father walked up to draw a number. _'Please not thirteen, please not thirteen! Anything but thirteen!'_

Her father turned and held out his number to the others, a satisfied smirk on his face. Hairiyu's jaw dropped in shock.

Number twelve.

He was fighting Goku!

"No way! Goku and Vegeta right off the bat!" Krillin exclaimed.

"You all know the tournament ring's gonna be destroyed, right?" Hairiyu asked nervously. "I'm not even gonna have my first match!"

"Next up to draw is Mighty Mask... Mighty Mask!"

The strange-looking man rushed up.

Hairiyu smiled in pity, "I hope whoever he ends up against goes nice on him... I don't really get how he managed to get a decent punch against that punch machine with such short arms..."

"You're number thirteen!"

Hairiyu's face dropped, eyes widening in horror. "... Are you serious? I have to be the one to beat a cripple? I can't do that!"

"So what? Just go out there and beat him like any other regular human," Krillin smiled. "Don't focus on the abnormality; see him for the fighter he must be!"

Hairiyu wasn't so convinced, "I know I shouldn't point it out or treat him any different because of it but I can't help it! I can't do it; he looks like his spine is gonna snap at any moment..."

"You mean your opponent?" Gohan asked. "... He looks odd but I don't think he's entirely a person with a deformity... He looks weird though!"

Little did any of the fighters know that her opponent was actually Goten and Trunks in disguise posing as another fighter! The whereabouts of the real Mighty Mask was unknown expect to the two boys!

"Ma Junior... You're number four," The announcer called.

"Piccolo's up against Shin," Gohan mumbled.

"Yeah... I hope he'll be ok," Hairiyu frowned. "There's something strange about that guy and his buddy."

"Mr Satan is currently resting so I shall draw for him," the announcer reached into the box. "Number ten!"

"Yes!" Krillin grinned turning to his wife. "You're up against Mr Satan!"

"Who?" Eighteen raised an eyebrow.

"I'm so sorry!" Videl apologised. "Too bad you couldn't win one round before you had to face daddy!"

"Last up is Yamu; safe to say that's fifteen!"

Yamu was the other man with Spopovich; he was shorter and less bulky but looked just as mean. Hairiyu carefully observed them again. She found it ironic her dad and Goku were matched up, and that Gohan, Piccolo and Videl were all pitted up against opponents that seemed suspicious and off to her... then there was her own opponent! Hairiyu didn't know if she could bring herself to beat up someone as deformed-looking as him. She didn't want to offend him but she didn't want to cause any serious damage! He looked kinda frail as it was!

"As you can see, this is the match layout!" The announcer directed them to the board. "Match one is Krillin vs. Punta. Match two sees Shin take on Ma Junior. Match three pits Videl against Spopovich, while match four presents Kibito against the Great Saiyaman. Match five sees Number Eighteen against our reigning champion, Mr Satan! Match six sees Son Goku vs. Vegeta. Match seven is Mighty Mask vs. Yuu, and match eight is Yamu vs. Jewel.

"We'll begin as soon as possible, I'll walk you to the waiting room."

The group of fifteen fighters were led through into the main building and into the waiting room. Through the door ahead of them was the arena.

"Since we have so many matches there'll be a thirty minute limit." The announcer added. "I hope you're aware of the rules? You lose if you're knocked out for ten counts, knocked out of bounds, give up, or kill your opponent! Please wait in here until I call your names for your matches." With that he left the room and walked out into the arena.

Hairiyu gulped and observed her surroundings, peering out of the entrance. The crowd looked far bigger from down here!

The announcer wasted no time in calling forth the competitors. "Let's go to the first match! Krillin vs. Punta!"

The crowds cheered as the first match was announced.

"Good luck," Hairiyu smiled at the short warrior.

"Break a leg Krillin," Gohan rooted.

"Just so long as it's not mine!" Krillin chuckled.

Punta walked past, towering over Hairiyu as he moved past the centre board, knocking Krillin into the wall before deliberately pushing him back with one fat hand, earning a disgruntled and annoyed look from Krillin.

The two fighters approached and entered the ring, Punta swinging his arms around whilst wandering onto the stage with Krillin trying not to get himself hit!

"Krillin returns hoping to experience the glory from entering past tournaments as a little boy," the announcer filled the crowds in as the fighters made their way, "Punta is known for his brutality! He's hungry to erase the frustration of the last tournament's out-of-bounds loss! He doesn't look like he'll be going easy on his opponent- even with the huge size difference!"

Punta had stopped swinging his arms around and muttered a few words to Krillin; Hairiyu was too far away to hear him.

"... And begin!"

Punta surprised everyone as he began to backflip around the ring, springing off his limbs several times around the stage before landing back in front of Krillin with a heavy thump. He muttered something to Krillin; neither of them throwing a single punch. Krillin looked pretty deflated from what Hairiyu could see.

Then the mood changed.

Krillin punched his opponent in the stomach, slapped him around the face a couple of times before kicking him clean off his feet and onto the grass with a crash! To make it worse, one of Krillin's hands had remained in his pocket the entire time.

"Out of bounds – Krillin wins!" The announcer declared as the crowds cheered.

"Nice match Krillin, "Goku smiled.

"Aww it was nothing..." Krillin sighed, "Sorry Piccolo, looks like they want the next victim out in the ring!"

Piccolo glared out towards the ring looking rather unnerved. Hairiyu took a glance at her former mentor; something was bothering him. Was it that Shin guy?


	79. Chapter 078

**Chapter 078 - Shin and Spopovich**

The crowds were muttering amongst themselves, conversations so diluted it all came out as one low tone. To the side of the stage, a few officials had rushed out with a stretcher to remove Punta from the arena grounds and rush him to the on-site recovery room. He'd taken a much-deserved though very short beating from Krillin, the small warrior practically defeating his opponent with his eyes closed and one hand in his pocket! It had been a great opening match and one which hinted at things to come.

"Moving onto match number two - Shin vs. Ma Jr!" The announcer called down the microphone once the casualty had been removed.

Piccolo and Shin wandered out into the open, taking their places on the ring. There were a few sceptical people amongst the crowds which felt perhaps they recognised the Namekian warrior from somewhere, unable to pinpoint where from!

"Is this Shin guy really that interesting?" Krillin asked unconvinced with everyone's concerns for the short, pale fighter.

"Kinda," Goku nodded feeling a little eager to see how the match would go.

Hairiyu wandered forwards from her place against the wall and jumped up to lean on the board in the centre of the entrance. This way she'd get a much better view of the match and she was concerned about Piccolo's uneasiness about his opponent.

The start of the match was called with the striking of the gong yet strangely neither fighter budged an inch. Hairiyu kept her eyes peeled for any sudden movements but none came. What was going on? Why was Piccolo so bothered by this guy? Sure she felt a strange chill run down her spine whenever she saw him but she'd put that down to sensing the power he had.

"What's Piccolo doing?" Gohan asked unsure.

Hairiyu heard Shin mumble something but couldn't make it out. Piccolo seemed shocked by this and within a moment he'd turned and left the arena, foot touching the ground and landing him at least in a ringout.

"Forfeit?" Gohan repeated in surprise.

"What?" Hairiyu gasped looking at her friend before turning to Piccolo shocked. She never would have suspected Piccolo would have forfeited. This was so uncharacteristic of him; something bad had to be going on...

"Ma Jr. has forfeited the match leaving Shin as the winner!"

Piccolo walked past the others without a word. Not even his facial expression gave anything away.

"Was it that bad, Piccolo?" Goku asked.

"Yes... He is far stronger than you could ever imagine," Piccolo muttered.

"D-Don't say that; I've gotta fight him next!" Krillin spluttered starting to feel on edge.

"Moving right along, here's match number three – Videl vs. Spopovich!" The announcer called eager to get the disappointed crowds riled up. Naturally at the mention of the current world champion's daughter, the crowds went wild and began to loudly chant Videl's name.

"Wow, they must really like you!" Gohan chuckled stunned.

"Good luck Videl," Hairiyu smiled. She hadn't seen Videl fight before even though she was aware of her abilities being far greater than any regular human, though of course she had a long way to go if she were going to challenge the likes of their Earthling comrades like Yamcha or Krillin.

"Thanks," Videl nodded. "Oh by the way Gohan, I wanna see you in the second round, ok?"

"Sure," Gohan nodded, a small blush on his face.

As Videl and her bulky opponent left the room (the latter hissing through his teeth), Hairiyu smugly looked at Gohan. "... Any reason why there's a blush on your face?" She mused teasingly.

"W-What, there's not!" Gohan protested. "To be honest I'm not looking forward to my first match much less the second!"

"Yeah, I can't blame you there... Piccolo forfeited against Shin so I wonder if his partner's just as strong," Hairiyu mused taking a quick glance back, Shin passing her by at that moment, making his way back into the waiting area. She watched as he walked over to the taller, dark-pink skinned man; she couldn't work out just how strong either of them were as both were suppressing their ki.

"Let the match begin!"

Videl and Spopovich's match started and Hairiyu's attention turned away from the mysterious men and to the ring. Videl was fast and strong; each blow she connected bowled over Spopovich and sent him crashing onto his back. The gigantic brute didn't look too big on brains but he was persistent and apparently his endurance was nothing to sneeze at. Once again Videl charged with a flying kick straight to the face. She spun and elbowed him down into the tiles below, landing on her feet and springing forwards, throwing dozens of fists into his stomach before kneeing him in the jaw. Once again Spopovich was floored.

"Good! She's done it!" Gohan cheered.

"That's ended it," Hairiyu agreed. She had to admit she was impressed with Videl's skill considering the level of teaching and training the girl had been brought up with! There was no doubt about it; Videl was stronger than her father. Hairiyu contemplated the thought of Videl defeating her father in the finals and the uproar it would cause if such a thing were to ever happen. Her smile faded when Spopovich rose to his feet. His stature was rather strange considering the beating he'd taken. It didn't make any sense; from the strength of his ki he shouldn't have been able to rise from that...His ki seemed to be fluctuating but it didn't feel normal. Hairiyu raised an eyebrow in confusion. She couldn't describe the feeling but something told her Videl was about to have a far longer match than intended.

"How is this happening?" Gohan asked baffled.

"There's something weird about him," Goku mumbled serious. "Videl might be better off forfeiting."

"Forfeiting? Why?" Gohan demanded a little surprised and offended his father had suggested a thing. He quickly dismissed his father's concerns, "Videl's doing fine; she'll beat him."

Spopovich slapped Videl across the face, Videl shooting across the ring and over the edge.

"She'll ring out!" Hairiyu gasped.

Videl suddenly stopped herself in mid-air, floating back upright before landing back in the centre of the ring.

"Yeah! I taught her that," Gohan grinned proudly.

"I think it might have been better if she had fallen," Goku muttered grimly. "There's something strange about Spopovich. He's way too unfazed for all the damage he's taken and I don't feel any ki from him at all... or at least it feels almost unnatural."

"So what could that mean?" Gohan asked.

"I don't know," Goku answered.

Hairiyu turned back to watch the fight; Videl leapt forwards and swung her leg out, striking Spopovich clean in the neck. The half-Saiyan gasped; she didn't need to hear the horrifyingly bone-crunching sound to tell what had just happened.

The crowds reacted in horror.

"S-Spopovich's head has completely spun around!" The announcer shrieked.

Hairiyu almost flinched away at the sight; Spopovich's head had been turned around, his neck broken from Videl's strike. Nearby and catching her breath back, Videl seemed just as stunned by her own strength as everyone else, watching wide-eyed as Spopovich's corpse fell to the ground. The look on her face was haunting as the realisation she'd just killed a man dawned on her. There was nothing that could be done about it now.

It was all over.

"W-Well..." The announcer's voice was sombre with a hint of disappointment and regret for the actions he'd have to enforce, "Videl has clearly beaten her opponent but will be disqualified for excessive use and for killing..." He suddenly stopped and gasped loudly down the microphone.

Hairiyu watched in shock and bewilderment as Spopovich slowly rose to his feet. Both hands grabbed his head and began to turn it back to its original place! One large crack and a couple of neck movements and Spopovich was back to normal!

"... How... How? How is that even possible?" She protested flabbergasted. "Videl broke his damn neck! Is he immortal or something?"

"He put it back!" The announcer cried. "What's going on?"

Spopovich drew an arm back and caught Videl off-guard, punching her straight between the eyes. The sudden attack and lack of defence sent Videl reeling across the tiled floor crashing onto her back half-way across the stage. Videl slowly sat back up before she rose to her feet holding her now bleeding nose. Opposite her Spopovich appeared just as he had done right at the beginning of the match, unfazed by any of Videl's attacks.

His unnatural abilities were starting to occur to the group of warriors watching inside the waiting room.

"...Goku's right," Krillin mumbled. "Videl should give up."

"She should but she won't," Hairiyu replied anxiously. "Videl won't give up that easily."

Spopovich charged and swung out a thick-fisted punch, Videl evaded as she leapt high up into the air, hovering above the arena. She was starting to appear physically tired, blood still dripping from her nose.

"She flew again!" The announcer gasped in amazement.

"That's it! Escape to the sky and catch your breath back!" Gohan called.

Videl looked exhausted from what Hairiyu could see; her nose had taken a brutal hit from Spopovich's punch earlier and was probably broken. At least she had an advantage over him and could control her ki now.

The subtle distortion caught her attention; Hairiyu's jaw dropped in shock as Spopovich suddenly flew up towards Videl and above her!

"He flew?" Gohan cried with despair.

Spopovich held one hand fully stretched and spread his fingers, palm facing Videl, who no doubt was just as baffled as the rest of them were! Again a small distortion in Spopovich's unusual ki was detected.

"VIDEL MOVE!" Hairiyu bellowed urgently.

Spopovich released a ki blast, striking the stunned Videl and knocking her down towards the ground. She rolled and landed on all fours heavily on the tiles, clothes tattered and body slightly singed from the heat. Spopovich landed metres away from her with a heavy thump looking pretty pleased with himself.

"That was an energy attack without much power!" Krillin gawked.

"No, he weakened it on purpose," Vegeta muttered, "he knows he'll lose if he kills her."

"... How can he do all this?" Gohan asked baffled.

"Spopovich has powers beyond his natural abilities," Goku spoke, eyes fully fixated on the bulky, pale brute, "... but why?"

Videl was repeatedly slapped around the ring, it was quickly becoming clear she'd lost whatever advantage she'd once held. Each time she was knocked down, she rose back up again to continue the now one-sided fight. Hairiyu admired her courage and her resolve to keep going but felt perhaps now Videl's pride and stubbornness was working against her. She couldn't win, not anymore. She was totally outclassed by Spopovich – yet why was Spopovich toying with her? It angered Hairiyu; he should just knock her out of the ring instead of continuing to brutally beat her down unnecessarily!

"That's enough Videl! Give up!" Gohan cried frantically. "Spopovich knows he can win! He's just toying with you!"

Spopovich grabbed Videl by her hair and repeatedly punched her in the stomach, Videl's scream of pain too stifled to be heard. One swing sent her rolling across the arena, head rolling off the edge of the ring, mouth gaped open with blood stains pouring down her chin.

Hairiyu leaned up over the board and sat on it, freeing her hands though she kept them gripped firmly to the board needing to vent in some way. Just watching this one-sided brutal fight was provoking her anger. It wasn't a fight anymore. "Videl, you can't beat him! He's way too advanced for you; his power is unnaturally strong! You won't be able to beat him Videl!"

Videl slowly sat up, approached from the grassy surroundings of the stage by the announcer. "Listen Videl, perhaps it's time we called it a day?" He asked.

"No... I'll never give... give up..." Videl huffed heavily as she rose to her feet again.

"Why's she being so stubborn?" Gohan cried in frustration. "She'll get herself killed! That guy doesn't care if she's a girl!"

"That's beside the point!" Hairiyu barked. "If he's a professional fighter and knows what the rules are, why isn't he knocking her from the ring? He knows he can beat her, the masochistic freak! Just knock her from the ring!"

Spopovich continued to strike Videl despite the obvious difference in strength. He grabbed her once again by the hair and despite her shrieking, kneed her heavily in the face. Videl's battered face was almost unrecognisable now. Spopovich tossed her to the tiled ground and began to crush her head, Videl's screams too agonising for many of the crowd who were now calling for the match to be stopped.

Hairiyu's temper was seething as she reluctantly watched. Next to her Gohan was growing increasingly riled up, his ki rising.

"Calm down Gohan, she's not gonna die!" Goku spoke. "Remember he's not allowed to kill her!"

Hairiyu was sure Spopovich was not concerned with that. The force he was putting down on her, the way he'd let the match carry on. He was sickening to watch, he turned her stomach. Just seeing what he'd done to her friend repulsed every part of her. He wasn't a fighter or even a martial artist; he was a cruel masochistic monster who clearly showed no regard for honour or even compassion for others. She would love to jump in the ring and beat him down the way he'd beaten down Videl...

With a roar Gohan's power skyrocketed as he transformed into a Super Saiyan, "That's it! He's gone too far!" He roared.

Hairiyu's attention stayed on Videl, noticing the tears rolling down her eyes. "... The bastard!" She snarled through gritted teeth, almost as willing as Gohan to just disregard the rules and join the match. She no longer cared whether she'd get herself disqualified, it was only her teaching to not interfere in battles which held her back and even that part of her was fighting a losing battle. Her friend was dying!

"Whoa, calm down Gohan!" Krillin ushered.

"No! I'm going out there! I don't care if this is a match!" Gohan bellowed.

"We'll both go!" Hairiyu agreed jumping down from the board she'd been perched on, eager to enter the fight. "That guy needs to learn just how it feels to be outclassed!"

"H-Hey!" Krillin gasped. "You'll be disqualified!"

"I don't care!" Gohan snapped. "Don't try to stop me!"

"ENOUGH FOOLING AROUND!"

The deep voice caught everyone off-guard. Just outside of the waiting room, Spopovich's partner Yamu was standing on one of the walls separating the ring from the outside area. He jumped down and landed inches from the ring as Spopovich stared at him, looking like a kid who'd just been caught misbehaving.

"This isn't what we set out to do." Yamu instructed. "Just get the win over with..."

Spopovich removed his foot and kicked Videl off the edge of the ring.

"...O-Out-of-bounds!" The announcer shakily called, "Spopovich wins."

With little thought Hairiyu pushed off the ground and dashed forwards, running beside Gohan across to where Videl had fallen. She'd seen little movement from the fighter and feared the extent of her injuries.

"Videl?" Gohan called as he knelt down beside her, Hairiyu standing looking horrified at the damage she'd taken. Blood still ran down her face which was now covered in bruises, body shaking slightly from shock.

"We'll call for a stretcher," the announcer rushed over to the fallen fighter concerned for her wellbeing.

Gohan shifted his arms underneath her and rose to his full height, "No, I'll carry her."

Hairiyu's eyes shifted to the side as Spopovich walked down the stairs. She bared her teeth and glared at him in disgust. She wanted to spit words of venom at him but he'd probably enjoy it.

"Spopovich!" Gohan snarled. "It'll be you and me in the second round – and I'll win!"

Spopovich smirked and continued to follow Yamu to the side of the waiting room behind the wall.

"We'd better get her into the medical room," Hairiyu warned. "You should probably hand her over to me; you're in the next match."

"No, I'm not fighting until I know she's ok," Gohan shook his head.

"... Then you'd better hurry." Hairiyu nodded. "I'll see if I can buy you some time." She wandered over to the announcer as Gohan rushed Videl to the infirmary. "Hey! 'Scuse me, would it be alright if we postpone the next fight? My friend's gone to take Videl into the sickbay."

"Huh?... Well usually we can't wait for very long but if it's for Videl then I'm sure the fans will understand." The announcer mumbled. "We can wait a couple of minutes more."

"Ok, thank you!" Hairiyu smiled rushing back to her friends. As she wandered in she noticed they were down another fighter. "... Where's Goku?" She asked.

"He went to go get some senzu from Korin," Krillin answered.

Hairiyu smiled and wiped her brow, "That's a relief. Gohan should be able to fight as soon as she's healed... I dunno if he'd be able to give it his all if he was worried about her."

Krillin smirked, "He'd be too preoccupied with his girlfriend, right?"

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow, "They're not going out... or at least he hasn't told me anything..." She wasn't in the mood to poke fun at Gohan, not while Videl was so badly injured.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next match will be slightly delayed until we have further updates on Videl's well-being!" The announcer declared.

-

The wait was agonisingly long. Gohan had returned about a minute or so ago but Goku still hadn't come back with the senzu beans promised. Hairiyu was sat against the wall watching as Gohan anxiously paced the floor. She couldn't blame him for being so concerned, what was Goku doing taking so long?

"There's an update on Videl's condition. Her injuries aren't as serious as first thought!" The announcer reported. "That's great news for all you Videl fans! Now let's move onto the next match!"

"What? No!" Gohan hurriedly sprinted out of the waiting room and stopped the announcer mid-sentence. After a few moments he rushed back in. "... Just a couple more minutes... Come on dad!"

Hairiyu frowned; it felt like it had been ages since Goku'd left!

As if onn cue, Goku suddenly appeared before them holding a small bag in his hand. He was quickly approached by his worried son, "Did Korin have any senzu?" Gohan asked frantically.

"Yeah; he hadn't grown any in a while but he gave me three," Goku nodded handing one bean to Gohan. "Go give Videl one of these so you can begin your match!"

The sudden dark shadow leaning over her caught her eye as Kibito stepped forward looking as grim as always.

"Hold on a minute, I've just gotta give this to someone, then we can start our match!" Gohan called as he rushed out of the exit and to the hospital bay.

Hairiyu looked at Kibito briefly before her eyes wandered around the room. She noticed her opponent – that strange deformed man – wasn't in here. She wondered where he was...

It was another couple of minutes before Gohan returned, giving his father a quick glance as he rushed out to join his opponent.

Hairiyu wandered back over and watched through the entrance as Gohan and Kibito both walked onto the ring. She had completely forgotten Gohan was supposed to be the Great Saiyaman and had ripped off his bandana during his earlier outburst.

"Ok! Let's get started! Kibito vs. the Great Saiyaman!" The announcer called to the eager crowds.

_'Time to see if your training with Goten's helped you grow stronger,'_ Hairiyu kept her eyes on Gohan uncertain of what to expect. It had been years since the two of them had sparred and she'd have loved to have gone up against him in the tournament. _'Fat chance – I've got Goku and dad to compete with!'_

"Gohan! Good luck!"

The sound of a familiar voice broke through the many cheers of the crowds but it was a voice Hairiyu could not ignore. Her eyes had widened once she realised she'd recognised it; she rushed out and peered across the crowds. She was sure she heard Eresa's voice!

"Hey, your match isn't until a while later!" Krillin called unsure what Hairiyu was up to.

"It's not that!" Hairiyu gasped. "Gohan's been recognised - AAAAGH NO!" she suddenly realised why, hands clasping to her bandana! "Saiyaman - your disguise!"

Gohan apparently knew as he removed his sunglasses and tossed them aside, waving nervously to their friends. It wasn't so bad since none of the cameras worked; no one could take a picture. Yet their friends were apparently here. Hairiyu now felt nervous about her own disguise, was it enough to fool them all?

"Let the match begin!" The announcer cheered as the gong rang.

Gohan put up his guard ready for the battle; Kibito towering over him. Strangely enough the tall warrior did not alter his stance.

"I wonder how he'll handle this now..." Hairiyu mumbled as she walked back inside the waiting room.

"Who knows," Krillin replied.

"Turn Super Saiyan. I want to see if you'll really be able to help us out when we need you to."

Hairiyu's breath hitched. She stared at Kibito in surprise and worry. How did he know Gohan was part-Saiyan and that he could become a Super Saiyan?

"What are they talking about?" Krillin asked.

"He just asked Gohan to become a Super Saiyan," Goku replied.

"How do you know about Super Saiyans?" Gohan was heard asking, "and what do you mean by help you?"

"You'll find out. First I want to see what you can do," Kibito replied.

"... You're kidding right? I can't turn into a Super Saiyan in front of all these people!" Gohan cried anxiously.

"What the hell is this guy up to?" Hairiyu raised a baffled eyebrow.

"Gohan!"

Piccolo's loud voice startled Hairiyu and she looked briefly at him, confused when he nodded towards his former pupil.

"... Do you know something?" Goku asked.

"Not exactly..." Piccolo muttered.

Hairiyu's eyes turned to the small figure emerging behind Piccolo; that Shin guy who her former mentor forfeited the match to. Of course; it was his friend fighting Gohan.

"I'm sorry... but we must make use of Gohan," Shin spoke calmly, "... and I'll need you all to stay here, no matter what happens."

"What?" Krillin asked confused.

"What are you talking about?" Goku asked.

"I don't even know who you are and you're telling us what to do?" Vegeta muttered, "Who are you?"

"This is Kaioshin," Piccolo spat back, "he's the Lord of Lords; the God to the Gods! The Supreme ruler!"

Hairiyu's eyes widened, mouth slightly agape upon learning the news that the man before them was who he was. Was he really that special? It explained the strange feel of his ki but she found it difficult to believe someone that important was standing before her! She didn't totally understand just how the hierarchy of the otherworld worked. She knew that Kaio was one of the four kaio that ruled over one part of the universe. She found it stranger that there was someone higher up than he was!

Something didn't seem right about his appearance at the tournament today. Why today of all days? What was the bigger picture?

None of the warriors would be able to prepare themselves for the events that were about to unfold.


	80. Chapter 079

**Chapter 079 - Energy Thieves**

The half-dozen group of warriors stood amongst themselves in shock, all eyes fallen on the small, lean stature of the pale man whom they now knew to be incredibly important. This stranger known to those at the tournament as Shin was in reality the Kaioshin?

"...I've heard stories about you from Kaio!" Goku gawked in amazement. "Sounds like you're really something special!"

Something apparently was going to happen to Gohan during his match against the Kaioshin's friend known as Kibito. What it was that was meant to occur had not yet been revealed but it appeared Piccolo had seemed to have an idea of who these two men really were. The appearance of someone so important in the order of the universe concerned Hairiyu especially since his plan seemed to involve her best friend.

"Is something going to happen to Gohan when he becomes a Super Saiyan?" Krillin asked worried.

"Spopovich and Yamu will no doubt attack Son Gohan when he transforms," Kaioshin replied calmly, "but as I said, you must do nothing."

Hairiyu snorted at his remark, "You want me to stand here while they attack my friend? Well for the record Gohan can take care of himself!" There was little doubt in her mind that if anyone was foolish enough to try and take on Gohan, they would quickly learn how terrifying a fighter he could be. Still the fact that Kaioshin didn't seem particularly bothered about stopping this apparent attack was worrying.

"Why will they attack Gohan?" Goku asked.

"Do not worry. They won't take his life; only his energy," Kaioshin answered.

"Why his energy?" Hairiyu asked suspiciously. She didn't like how much this Shin guy seemed to know about Spopovich and Yamu and their alleged attack on Gohan. If he knew they were going to take his energy then why was he about to let them? Something wasn't right about this.

"You'll see..." Kaioshin muttered, eyes fixed back on the ring before them. Still Gohan hadn't quite given into his opponent's demands and seemed to be lulling it over.

"Hey!"

Hairiyu blinked in surprise, head whirling around. She smiled in relief as Videl rushed through the group, knocking past her disgruntled father in the process before leaping up and leaning over the board. Her wounds had healed and she had a fresh set of clothes. "Glad to see you're alright." Hairiyu smiled.

"... You mean it hasn't started yet? Good," Videl's eyes stayed on the ring. Hairiyu looked forwards; Gohan gave a yelp and began to raise his ki.

The transformation had started.

With a loud yell Gohan's ki soared to those familiar staggering heights. The tiles of the arena floor began to crack and break at his feet as Gohan transformed into a Super Saiyan 2, his ki so blinding it temporarily made it impossible to see him standing in the centre of the ring. The dust settled and the tiles began to fall back into place. The crowds were shocked, a quiet murmur coming from them. No one seemed to know what to make of Gohan's new appearance.

_'It's impressive but it's not him at his best...'_ Hairiyu noted to herself. If this was just a taste of his power or his full power Hairiyu wasn't sure; if it was the latter than she feared his lack of training had cost him.

"He was better when he fought Cell!" Vegeta muttered from his place against the wall, a tone of disgust in his voice. "He's slacked off in his training! Peace isn't good for a warrior."

"It's still more than we imagined..." Kaioshin spoke, "I don't know if I'll be able to restrain his power."

"Restrain it?" Goku repeated worried.

"G... Gohan's the Great Saiyaman and the Gold Fighter too?" Videl spluttered in disbelief, eyes fixated on the ring and the glowing boy before her.

"Lucky there aren't any cameras around..." Hairiyu muttered under her breath, eyes glancing all over the place trying to find Spopovich and Yamu. She could see Kibito seemed shocked with Gohan's power but that didn't matter right now. There were far more pressing matters at hand.

"Here they come!" Kaioshin cried.

Hairiyu saw it out of the corner of her eye; Spopovich and Yamu made a dash to the ring with impressive speed, some strange object held in the smaller, leaner fighter's hand which closely resembled a watering can.

Sensing the approaching threat, Gohan turned and put up his guard sensing them with little difficulty. He'd be more than a match for these two.

Then his ki suddenly stopped flowing through his body. The sudden disturbance in Gohan's ki output and the flash from the corner of her eye caused Hairiyu's glance to dart over quickly at Kaioshin, seeing his arms held out before him, aimed directly for Gohan.

"What are you doing?" She demanded. "Is that you doing that to him?"

Gohan seemed to be as still as a statue. He was easy prey for Spopovich who wrapped his arms around him in a lock, pinning Gohan's arms to the sides of his body. Yamu pushed the strange-looking device towards Gohan's waist-

Gohan cried out as the point pierced his body. The scream reached Hairiyu's ears, her jaw gaped open as she watched in horror. His screams were horrible to have to endure or even listen to. She could sense the energy slowly leaving him. There was nothing he could physically do, he was unable to move because of the hold Kaioshin's power had on him as well as Spopovich's grasp.

"They're killing him!" Goku cried.

"Trust me, he'll be fine!" Kaioshin barked.

Hairiyu's stomach turned and knotted itself several times, heat rushing to her head as she watched with distain. She couldn't stand this, she couldn't stand to see anyone suffer. His screams were torture for her to listen to, every fibre in her body wanted it to stop, it was too upsetting to hear. She could sense Gohan's ki was dropping fast and didn't understand why she was being forced to stay rooted to the floor and not help.

"Those bastards!" Krillin snarled making a move to charge – Piccolo grabbed hold of the short fighter much to Krillin's protests and his own reluctance.

"Do not interfere!" Kaioshin yelled.

Gohan's ki passed the threshold needed to maintain Super Saiyan 2 and he lost his transformation, ki still weakening, still falling. His life force felt like it was falling alongside it.

She had to clamp her eyes shut; she couldn't stand this! Her anger and concern was desperately telling her to jump forwards and make Gohan stop screaming and yet this Kaioshin guy wanted them to stay? Stay for what? She couldn't see this anymore!

Goku glanced over and gasped but it wasn't Hairiyu who'd charged – he quickly grabbed hold of Videl's arm and held her back.

"Let me go! Gohan needs help!" She protested. "He's in trouble!"

"Gohan will be fine," Goku answered sternly. "Stay here Videl."

"Why? How can you say that?" Videl glared at him pleadingly. "Why won't any of you help him?"

"...Don't worry, Gohan will be fine," Kaioshin muttered after a moment, though the calmness of his voice just grated on Hairiyu's shortening patience.

"He doesn't look or sound fine to me!" Hairiyu snarled through gritted teeth. Her fists trembled at her sides, knuckles as white as could be. She had to tense all of her muscles to even attempt to keep herself at bay. "...This is ridiculous! How the hell do you know what they're doing to him? If you don't answer me I swear I'll damn well rush in and attack those bastards!"

"Trust Kaioshin and stay here!" Goku yelled loudly.

"Forget it!" Hairiyu snapped back. If no one could charge out there without being caught, she'd just attack from here! She was determined to help Gohan out, she needed to somehow stop not only the distress he was clearly in but the distress she was now in. One palm aimed for Yamu, ki gathering rapidly in her hand.

A combination of what felt like paralysis and being physically pushed into the wall caught Hairiyu off-guard. She couldn't move her body or summon any of her energy to her outstretched palm. Furious, burning eyes glared as best as she could at Goku who had physically restrained her; just behind him she could see one of Kaioshin's hands pointing at her, the other still pointed out towards the ring. No doubt the strange thing he'd done to Gohan was now on her.

"Calm down Hairiyu, now!" Goku barked.

She glanced back over to Gohan in frustration and angst as his ki dropped dangerously low. Yamu pulled back the strange object; Gohan's ki stabilised. He was far too weak to stand as he crashed onto his face once Spopovich released him.

The two brutes took off into the sky.

"None of you do anything yet!" Kaioshin ordered. "Kibito will restore Son Gohan's strength back to normal."

"So what is this all about?" Goku asked, releasing Hairiyu who stumbled, barely able to keep her footing as she was suddenly released from both Goku's grasp and Kaioshin's restraint. She was still fuming from the incident and was gutted she hadn't been able to help Gohan.

"I will follow them and see where they are going," Kaioshin instructed. "If you wish to come with me then feel free to. It would be a great help."

With that the god took off and pursued the two thieves.

Assuming it was now ok and made little difference whether she stayed or moved, Hairiyu bolted out of the waiting room and over to Gohan, horrified with what she saw. His skin was pale, deathly pale. His ki was at its minimal and he looked as if he couldn't move or speak. Just looking at him made her want to chase after the two brutes who'd done this to him, she wanted them to pay for the pain and suffering they'd put him under.

It infuriated her further. That Kaioshin guy knew this was going to happen and yet he let it happen anyway? What was his goal? Why did it have to be Gohan?

"Gohan!" Videl had reached them and knelt down beside him, shaking him by the back, "Gohan! Hey, someone get a stretcher over here!" She cried over towards some officials.

Hairiyu looked up at the towering Kibito suspiciously. "... That Kaioshin guy said you'd fix Gohan up. Why are you just standing there?" She snapped, "Why aren't you restoring his ki like he said you would, or did he lie to us?"

Goku landed between Hairiyu and Kibito. "So you'll take care of Gohan?" He asked.

"Yes," Kibito answered. "I will join you as soon as I've cured him and I'm sure he'll want to come too."

Hairiyu stepped forward unconvinced, "... You trust him, Goku?"

"Yeah," Goku nodded. "There's something going on here and I wanna find out. I wanna know why Spopovich and Yamu took Gohan's energy; what they need it for. Kaioshin has gone on ahead to find out where they're going and has invited us to join him."

Hairiyu contemplated this for a moment. So they were going to find out why this had all happened to Gohan?

"...Videl, stay with Gohan and let him know what's happened," Hairiyu instructed. "Gohan, get better quickly! I trust this guy will heal you!" She made a quick glance to Kibito before turning to face Goku who merely nodded.

"Wait, you're leaving Gohan here?" Videl spluttered in disbelief.

"He's in good hands," Hairiyu nodded. "Make sure you let him know where we've all gone when he comes to."

"Let's go," Goku smiled, feet pushing off the ground.

"See you guys soon," Hairiyu waved as she followed him, passing overhead and out of the tournament arena and into the sky beyond. The two travelled across the island the Budokai was being held on and were quickly over open seas, soon catching up with Piccolo who'd taken off immediately after Kaioshin, and soon joined by Krillin and Vegeta.

Thoughts raced through her mind as she flew alongside the others. Just who were Spopovich and Yamu? What was Kaioshin planning? Why did Spopovich and Yamu take Gohan's energy? Why had Spopovich's power been far higher than what it was supposed to be?

Just what was going on?

"Kaioshin is just ahead of us," Piccolo muttered over the loud gusts of wind passing them by.

"Hey!" Goku called loudly as the group of five quickly caught up to Kaioshin. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled, seemingly pleased to see them.

"So you decided to join me after all? Thank you, we probably couldn't win without your powers," Kaioshin spoke.

"What? You mean against those two?" Goku raised an eyebrow.

"No; Spopovich and Yamu are just pawns being used," Kaioshin replied. "The real foe is a warlock."

"A warlock?" Piccolo repeated.

"Yes," Kaioshin nodded. He began to explain how during a time when Humans were just learning how to walk, a warlock named Bibidi had created a monster which had destroyed thousands upon thousands of worlds. This monster was known as Majin Buu. At the time there were four Kaioshin such as himself and their leader; each could fell Freeza with one blow.

Four of these Kaioshin had been killed by Buu.

The news had shaken Hairiyu up slightly. Although back then she was far, far weaker, Freeza had killed her. To think there were people who could have felled her killer with one attack... and this Majin was meant to be far stronger still?

She knew currently she was capable of killing Freeza no problem. The question was how did she compare to these Kaioshin and the Majin?

"Buu's ferocity was so fierce that when Bibidi needed a respite, he would seal Buu in a shell," Kaioshin explained. "The sealed Majin Buu was brought to Earth which was intended to be its next target. Fortunately this gave us our chance and I managed to kill Bibidi before he could release Majin Buu. We thought it was all over; there was no need to attempt to destroy Buu in his seal because we feared an unnecessary shock could release him. He was left dormant where no human could ever find him.

"Recently we found out something terrible. We thought Bibidi was the only one who could break the seal but we were wrong; there is another. Bibidi had a son; his name is Babidi. He is a warlock just like his father!"

"So basically we need to stop this guy from resurrecting Majin Buu?" Goku clarified.

"Precisely," Kaioshin nodded, "which is why we need to defeat Babidi."

Hairiyu flew alongside her friends, unaffected by the oncoming winds. She listened carefully as Kaioshin explained how dangerous Babidi's powers were and why Spopovich and Yamu had been at the tournament. Turned out those two had been sent by Babidi to find energy to be used to resurrect this Majin Buu person. Hairiyu couldn't help but wonder who this Majin Buu guy was and what he'd look like. His name sounded quite silly to her nothing like how Kaioshin was making him out to sound! Still she knew better than to judge based on appearances... or in this case a name.

"Why'd you leave this guy around if you knew how dangerous he could be?" Goku asked baffled.

"We had no choice," Kaioshin answered. "We didn't know what could break the seal; an unnecessary shock could have woken the Majin. We felt it would be safe since the shell was left in a place where humans could not reach it."

"... It's been a long time since humans began to walk..." Hairiyu mumbled to herself. _'I hope it's still in a place no human can find it in!'_

It was a while before anyone dared to speak. For the most of the flight Hairiyu'd listened to the conversations that were mainly darting between Goku and Piccolo asking questions and Kaioshin answering them, though the odd remark was made to her father despite him not speaking at all! Apparently Kaioshin could read minds which abruptly stopped Hairiyu wanting to think things through in fear her privacy would be invaded! Instead her thoughts turned to Gohan's energy; she could sense him and Kibito were a little ways behind them alongside Videl, much to Hairiyu's surprise and worry. Videl was the last person who should be tagging along wanting to fight alongside the gang; she wouldn't stand a chance against these villains! To her relief Videl seemed to separate from the other two and turned back on herself heading back for the tournament grounds. Gohan and Kibito's movement drastically increased once she'd left and soon they were fast approaching the group; Kaioshin had deliberately wanted to hold back so they could catch up.

"Heeeeey!"

Hairiyu smiled immediately recognising the voice and glanced over her shoulder as Gohan and Kibito finally caught up with them. Just as promised it looked like Kibito had restored his power, Gohan looked incredibly healthy and surprisingly upbeat considering the ordeal he'd just been put through!

"It looks like we've got our work cut out for us again Gohan," Goku smiled at his son as he came up alongside his father.

"I know," Gohan nodded seemingly just as interested as his father.

"How're you feeling?" Hairiyu asked, knowing the answer already but wanting to ask it anyway. She had to confirm he was mentally alright and not scarred or shaken by the experience he'd just gone through.

"I'm as good as new thanks to Kibito," Gohan responded goofily flexing both his arms and giving off a goofy grin.

Hairiyu smiled and looked away, suddenly feeling a wave of concern and relief overwhelming her. Perhaps she'd been the one to take more mental scarring from the sight of seeing him in pain than he had. She forced her emotions to behave and reined herself in, simply muttering "thank goodness" quietly to herself.


	81. Chapter 080

**Chapter 080 - Babidi and the King of the Demon Realm**

"They're landing!" Kaioshin cried over the whistling gusts. Indeed it seemed Yamu and Spopovich, who were both only a little ways ahead of the group, were starting to descend to the ground. That meant they were now nearing their destination; Babidi and his mysterious but deadly monster lay just before them.

"Down there!" Gohan spotted a small type of building protruding out from the ground, Yamu and Spopovich approaching it on foot. The group quickly descended onto a tall outcrop overlooking the building.

"Everyone, suppress your ki," Kaioshin ordered.

"Odd, we checked this area before..." Kibito muttered more to Kaioshin or himself than anyone else.

Hairiyu landed on a rock and peered over the ledge, lowering her ki down to zero. From what she could now see in front of them, there was a small white building, the building that'd been spotted on the approach. The ground around it had clearly been disturbed, possibly dug up because of the lack of grass or vegitation that grew. Not too far away from the strange building was a small house, alone and surrounded by daunting, steep mountains. Hairiyu was a little anxious to see three small mounds lay sprawled across the ground near to the home; two smaller ones and one larger one. She didn't have to examine them much to realise they must have been the people who'd lived in the house. She also didn't need to search for any sign of life to know they were all dead.

In front of this small building were Spopovich and Yamu; another person stood in the entrance to this building and seemed to be talking to the two. Hairiyu raised an eyebrow in confusion; judging by the size of this building there was only one room!

"I see someone," Goku mumbled quietly, "is that Babidi?"

"No, just one of his minions," Kaioshin answered.

"... The ground looks like it's been dug up," Gohan mused.

"Of course!" Kibito realised. "Babidi must have buried his ship underground; that's why we never found it!"

"That means Babidi must know we're here," Kaioshin added grimly. "Why else would he bother hiding his ship?"

"We should make our move before they can use Gohan's energy to resurrect Buu," Piccolo decided.

"No, they'll come outside to resurrect Buu so their ship isn't destroyed," Kaioshin shook his head. "We'll make our move then."

"Someone's coming out!" Piccolo gasped, all eyes once again fixated on the small building before them.

Hairiyu spotted them; two of them. The taller one had red skin and wore primarily blue and had a white cape. The shorter one looked like a bug and wore unusual clothes. She could sense the taller one had far more ki inside of him than he let on and began to shiver...

"Dabura!" Kibito gasped. "Babidi even has the king of the demon world under his power?"

"This'll make things far more difficult than I thought," Kaioshin gulped.

"Which one's Dabura?" Goku asked.

"The tall one," Kaioshin answered.

_'So the short one must be Babidi,'_ Hairiyu glared more closely at the tiny insect-looking being. Sure enough he had a tiny amount of ki compared to the warriors around him and his appearance gave off the impression he was weak, just as Kaioshin had said. She wondered just how strong his wizard-like powers were...

"You don't become the demon king out of niceness!" Kaioshin grumbled bringing Hairiyu back to reality. "You may be the strongest in this world but in the demon world, Dabura has won every contest."

"D-Demon world?" Krillin spluttered nervously. "There's a whole other world of evil? I really don't like the sound of that..."

"So the short one is Babidi then?" Gohan asked though it didn't really need to be asked.

"Yes," Kaioshin nodded.

"... Hard to believe he's the one responsible for all this..." Gohan mumbled bemused.

"Don't let his physical appearance fool you," Kaioshin warned, "after all, his magic has managed to turn even Dabura into his minion!"

"His magic can overpower a foe such as him?" Piccolo asked worriedly.

"No, Babidi manipulates the evil already inside the person's soul," Kibito explained, "Dabura is an ideal candidate; his heart is full of evil intentions! That's what makes Babidi's magic so dangerous! You can't have any evil within you if you plan to fight him otherwise he'll use it to his advantage!"

_'No evil...'_ Hairiyu gulped and glanced over at her shoulder, first to her father and then to Piccolo. She was growing concerned. Her father and Piccolo were both strong fighters and she knew if Babidi saw the potential in either of them and they turned, she wouldn't have the heart to fight them, evil or not! They were all going to have to be on their guard from the sounds of things.

"We hadn't bargained on Dabura being here," Kaioshin muttered, "This'll make things very difficult..."

"... You don't think we can win?" Vegeta muttered unimpressed. The lack of an answer brought a smile to his face, "... and the world will end if Buu is resurrected, right? Forget that; I'm not losing to them!"

Hairiyu had to admit she agreed with her dad for once! She was worried about him and Piccolo potentially being turned against them but felt at her current state, if Dabura was the best Babidi had then they were ok. She was sure she could probably beat him by herself at full power; the question that needed answering was just how strong Dabura was really and what were his true capabilities? Power wasn't everything; if he had some strange powers such as Babidi then who really knew how things would turn out. It wasn't exactly imperitive to listen to Kaioshin and Kibito from the sounds of things; they seemed to regard Dabura with high caution and a little fear; she couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Then again it would be unwise to ignore information from the two people that seemed to know much about their opponents.

"Krillin, you'd better go back," Goku warned, "It sounds like it's too dangerous."

"M-Maybe I should..." Krillin nodded, "I-I mean I doubt I could be of any use to you guys..."

There was a loud scream. Hairiyu's head whirled back around towards the ship, jaw agape when she spotted Spopovich inflating like a balloon! Blood poured out of his face as his body continued to puff out. Spopovich's body exploded with a terrifyingly loud bang.

Yamu took a couple of steps back and suddenly took off.

The man who'd greeted Spopovich and Yamu stepped forward and extended one arm out; his ki charging until he eventually fired off an energy attack straight for the fleeing human. Yamu didn't stand a chance; it reached him and exploded on impact.

None of the observers on the rocks could believe their eyes. The brutallity of both their minion's executions had sent a bitter wave of fear through Hairiyu's body and she continued to stare with revulsion and disbelief etched across her face. It hadn't been the first time she'd seen someone kill another from the same team and she doubted it'd be the last.

"... They killed them... How could they?" Gohan asked baffled.

"Once Babidi finds no more use for his minions, he kills them," Kaioshin answered bleakly.

"... So he uses them?" Hairiyu asked. "... What a selfish jerk!" she felt her fists tighten as the words left her mouth; this Babidi guy certainly fitted the evil criteria. What felt worse was how he used other people to do his dirty work rather than do it himself; something about that didn't sit well with Hairiyu. No doubt if he had no minions left he'd quiver like a coward!

"... Hey, they're all going inside except for Dabura," Goku noted nervously.

Hairiyu watched as Babidi and the minion went inside the tiny room. Dabura shifted and turned around. She could have sworn he was looking straight at her...

"They know we're here!" Vegeta gasped.

Dabura was quick off his feet, flying straight for them. In a flash he was in front of Kibito, palm outstretched in front of the stunned man's face.

_'He's fast!'_ Hairiyu gawked.

With a roar Dabura fired off an energy blast, killing Kibito as his body was reduced to ashes.

"Kibito!" Kaioshin cried.

"D-Darn it!" Goku glared at Dabura, putting up his guard.

Hairiyu stumbled to her feet and glared up at the laughing fighter, still amazed with his speed. Kibito apparently hadn't seen it coming.

Goku charged up towards Dabura; Dabura dodged Goku's oncoming attack and turned in anticipation, blocking Vegeta's punches. In the confusion he glanced back down and jerked his head forwards a couple of times.

"Watch out!" Kaioshin gasped. "Don't let his saliva touch you!"

Hairiyu saw nothing come towards her; saliva striking both Krillin and Piccolo. She looked around horrified as she heard both of them scream, watching in disbelief and fear as both slowly turned to stone! "Wh-What's going on? Piccolo! Krillin!" She screamed. Indeed it seemed the demon king really did have some unusual and bizarre abilities; perhaps it was right to regard him with a hint of fear after all.

"Darn it!" Goku rushed towards Krillin, "Krillin, what's wrong?"

"Don't touch them!" Kaioshin yelled. "They've been turned to stone! If you break them they can never return to normal!"

"There's a way to turn them back to normal?" Hairiyu asked cautiously picking at Kaioshin's words.

"Yes..." Kaioshin nodded yet seemed disheartened, "...You'll have to kill Dabura."

"Is that all?" Goku smiled confidently. "That's gonna be easy!"

"You'd better run home!" Dabura jeered as he headed away from them, "No one can defy Master Babidi!" With that he took off back to the ship and walked inside the building, vanishing into the darkness.

"Let's go and kick his ass!" Hairiyu protested itching to follow the monster. "Come on, we've gotta get Piccolo and Krillin back to normal!"

"She's right," Gohan stood up, "We are gonna go after him, right dad?"

"What else?" Goku nodded. "Let's go."

"Wait, you mustn't fall for their trap!" Kaioshin cried panicked. "They want us inside their ship – that's why they did nothing to you four!"

Ignoring the Kaioshin's pleas, Hairiyu leapt forwards off the rocky outcrop alongside Gohan and Goku, grabbing the bandana on her head and ripping it off. She knew the Kaioshin was probably right but leaving Piccolo and Krillin as statues for the rest of Dabura's life was not an option. She landed close to the entrance of the ship, Gohan and Goku close behind her. Cautiously the trio approached the entrance and peered down into the darkened room; it looked like an elevator shaft. It was so dark she could barely see anything.

"Let's go down and check it out," Goku suggested, Hairiyu noticing her father landing behind them. Following Goku's lead, she jumped down the hole before them unsure of what they'd find. The wind rushing past her cheeks was warm and she could see something below them. The shaft was quite deep and eventually they came to the other end, landing in a strange round room. There were no windows; just one door to the left.

"... Where are we?" Goku asked observing their surroundings. "This room is empty!"

"Why would Babidi lure us here?" Hairiyu was confused. "Is he gonna gas us or something?"

"There's a door over there," Gohan pointed out, "Let's break it down!"

The sound of footsteps tapping the floor caught Hairiyu's attention; she was surprised to see Kaioshin had joined them!

"So you decided to come?" Goku smiled.

Kaioshin glared back at them, "Only because of your own idiocy! Now we won't be able to leave the ship until we beat Babidi!" He spat.

"We'll just destroy this place if we have to," Vegeta smirked.

"No!" Kaioshin barked. "Any unnecessary jolt could wake up Majin Buu! Even if he doesn't have his full power restored to him, he'll still be able to kill us and destroy the planet!"

The door to their left suddenly began to creek as it opened. Hairiyu watched with caution as a figure appeared, soon revealing itself to be the man from before who'd killed Yamu. He stood confident and stepped out with a smirk.

"Welcome all of you, I am your first opponent Pui-Pui," he introduced himself, "Master Babidi is on the bottom floor. However you won't be able to progress any further until you defeat me! You've reached the end of the line!" He began to cackle with laughter; his laugh rather annoying to Hairiyu's ears.

"Sorry, I disagree," Goku smiled back, glancing over his shoulder at the others. "Alright, so which one of us goes first?"

"Let's ro-sham-bo," Hairiyu suggested. "Whoever wins gets to fight this guy!"

"Sounds fair enough," Gohan smiled.

"Let's do it!" Goku nodded.

The ro-sham-bo contest began. It took a while before the winner was decided...

Vegeta smirked triumphant, "Looks like I go first."

Kaioshin stepped forwards in shock, "W-Wait, don't tell me you plan to fight this guy all by yourself!" He spluttered.

"You think I can't handle it?" Vegeta asked.

"It'll be alright," Hairiyu smiled, "Dad's got this win in the bag."

"Master Babidi told me to be careful but you guys are all fools!" Pui-Pui snorted.

"Babidi's the fool," Vegeta retorted, "He should know not to pick a fight without doing his research! He's just taken on the strongest beings in existence!"

"The stron..." Pui-Pui started to laugh once again. "You're insane! There's no escape for any of you now!" He began to teleport around the room, "This room will convert any damage you suffer from into energy which will be channelled into Majin Buu's shell!"

"Is that so?" Vegeta asked. "So you won't be able to get any energy if you don't hurt me?"

"That's right," Pui-Pui nodded finally coming to a stop, "It's not very likely though." He seemed confident in his abilities though everyone else within the room apart from Kaioshin knew the rude awakening he was about to get.

"Well let's just see, shall we?" Vegeta smirked and put up his guard. "Welcome to the end of your life – and I promise it's going to hurt!"

Pui-Pui smiled and dashed forwards; kick completely blocked by Vegeta's fist. The shocked fighter stepped back and threw his fist out, again Vegeta catching his attack with minimal effort.

_'He's definitely outmatched,'_ Hairiyu smirked and folded her arms.

Pui-Pui's attack continued but to no avail as every strike was dodged. One kick was stopped as Vegeta grabbed him by the ankle. In a flash Vegeta's kick sent Pui-Pui crashing into the ship wall. He landed with a heavy thud on his face.

"There you go; it's like Hairiyu said," Goku smiled at the amazed Kaioshin who kept his eyes on the one-sided fight before them, "Vegeta can take care of himself."

Slowly Pui-Pui rose to a kneeling position, spotting Vegeta standing right in front of him. A strike to the jaw sent Pui-Pui flying up into the air; he rebounded off the ship ceiling and landed on his feet, glaring back around. His jaw was bleeding.

_'Outmatched in strength and speed,'_ Hairiyu noted; Pui-Pui clearly had no idea where her father was judging by his behaviour. He seemed to be frantically searching for something.

"You looking for me?"

Pui-Pui turned to once again be beaten down by Vegeta.

"He's good..." Kaioshin muttered coolly.

"He's really good," Gohan praised, "It looks like he's gotten a lot stronger."

"Well that's what happens when you spend seven years doing nothing but training!" Goku smirked as his rival continued to overwhelm his unfortunate opponent.

Vegeta continued to dominate the fight, more or less using Pui-Pui as a punching bag providing the fighter could manage to stay on his feet! Another punch knocked him down to the floor.

"Dad could win this with his hands tied behind his back," Hairiyu smiled. "That guy's got no chance of beating him; I feel sorry for him!"

Without warning the ship's walls suddenly vanished. Hairiyu blinked flabbergasted at what she saw. It was windy, it was dark and it definitely wasn't Earth! They were now on some desolate plain, no signs of greenery or plants to speak of and apparently no atmosphere, though oxygen was present much to her relief! At least they wouldn't suddenly die from suffocation!

"Where are we?" Gohan asked confused.

"It's Babidi's magic," Kaioshin explained. "He magically transported the room; it seems he's trying to give that fighter the advantage!"

"Should be interesting," Goku folded his arms in anticipation.

"It isn't Vegeta he's giving the advantage to!" Kaioshin hissed.

"Yeah, I know!" Goku responded; his reaction concerning Shin.

Pui-Pui slowly got to his feet, he seemed to be feeling more confident. "Welcome to my home planet! This is the end for you! You may have noticed but the gravity here is ten times stronger than Earth's!"

"He's finished," Hairiyu muttered.

Vegeta smirked, "... Maybe if this was four-hundred-times times gravity you might have the advantage, but ten? Do you think that means anything to me?"

Pui-Pui gasped, "... You're bluffing!"

"Maybe I am," Vegeta retorted, smile still unwavering from his face, "Hard to tell!"

"Enough!" Pui-Pui spat with frustration as he charged and went to attack Vegeta. No strikes hit the Saiyan; one kick connecting with Pui-Pui's chest sent him shooting off into a nearby boulder, knocking loose fragments from the rock as he impacted and stopped. The beaten warrior managed to free himself and landed on his feet.

Vegeta was right in front of him, hands placed on Pui-Pui's chest. In a flash of light Pui-Pui vanished inside Vegeta's energy blast, vapourised before their very eyes until nothing remained.

"Alright!" Gohan cheered.

"Knew he'd win," Hairiyu smiled.

"I'm amazed Babidi would send such a weakling!" Vegeta snorted.

The sound of machinery moving caught the group's attention and they noticed there was a hole opening up in the floor near to them.

"Hey the floor's opened up!" Goku peered down, "It looks like an elevator! Come on!" He jumped down into the hole.

"This is like a video game!" Gohan smiled as he followed his father.

"A moronic game," Vegeta muttered.

The shaft was just as narrow and dark as the one before it. Eventually they reached the other end of it, landing in a room identical to the one above!

"It looks the same as before," Goku muttered.

"I bet he'll change the room again with his magic," Gohan added.

"... Exactly how many of these rooms do we need to go through anyway?" Hairiyu asked. "That Pui-Pui guy said Babidi was on the bottom floor; just how many floors below us is that?"

"He never really said," Gohan shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess we'll just have to keep on winning to find out," Goku smiled as the Kaioshin landed behind them. "Whoever it is on this floor, I hope they're stronger than the guy Vegeta had to fight! I wonder if it'll be that Dabura guy?"

"I doubt it," Hairiyu replied, "He's supposed to be the strongest guy Babidi has, right? I would have thought he'd save him until last... unless he has no other minions stronger than that last guy!"

"Well whoever it is I hope they get here soon!" Goku grinned. "It's my turn to fight next!"


	82. Chapter 081

**Chapter 081 - Beating the Stages**

The gang of intruders stood inside the small room waiting for the next opponent to appear through the only door in the room. Unlike on the first level of the ship, they weren't greeted as quickly as they had been. In fact it felt like they'd been standing around for a while though it was difficult to measure time when all they were doing was waiting. Hairiyu spent most of the time waiting thinking of those back at the tournament, wondering what'd happened after they'd lost half of their fighters! Was it really eight of them who were still qualified or due to fight that had vanished from the Budokai?

"... Aren't they ready yet?" Goku asked growing impatient and itching to fight.

"This is ridiculous!" Vegeta grumbled taking a step forward and glancing down at the hatch below which was currently shut. "Let's just destroy the floor and drop down!"

"No!" Kaioshin yelled. "As I've said before, any unnecessary shock could wake up Majin Buu, even if he's not at full power! You don't seem to understand the dangers the monster is capable of – I've seen it with my own eyes; you have not! Heed the warnings I have given you!"

"I'm beginning to think this Majin Buu isn't much to speak of either!" Vegeta muttered rolling his eyes. "Just like Dabura!"

"What? Just like..." Kaioshin spluttered slowly, his voice almost fading with every word before finally regaining itself, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying Dabura's not as terrible as you think," Vegeta retorted. "We saw him outside and judging by his capabilities, we could have easily handled him there and then. The only thing I'd have to watch out for is his spit; if I can avoid that then I can beat him! Kibito was just incompetent, that's all!"

Kaioshin looked around at the other Saiyans for confirmation or assurance that the Prince was insane, "... Do you all agree with him?" He questioned.

"Yeah," Goku nodded in agreement with Vegeta, "At the level we're at now I think any one of us can beat him on our own. There was this guy called Cell who was on Earth seven years ago terrorising the planet; I'd say they're about the same."

'_As strong as Cell? I guess that's about right...'_ Hairiyu noted to herself. If this prediction was true then by power alone, Hairiyu knew all four of them could trump him. Question was could they survive his strange capabilities. His spit was deadly; if that were to touch any of them then the battle would be decided there and then. Though she was not as strong as her father and did not have as much experience in battle as he or Goku did, she was certain if they were to meet and battle, she could defeat him. She'd come a long way in seven years (her father would mention she'd have grown a lot more had she not been attending school!).

Goku'd turned back to the door growing increasingly impatient with the lack of an opponent. "... Hey! I said hurry up! It's my turn to fight!" He called.

As if on cue the door began to open. A tall, disgusting-looking monster-type being stepped out; Hairiyu curling one eye as a nauseous feeling hit her, her nose stinging from the stench which stopped her from breathing temporarily. This guy looked both creepy and gross!

"What the heck is that thing?" Goku gawked as the monster took slow steps towards him, drool oozing down his mouth as he eyed the five fighters up. He easily towered over them all.

"Yakon!" Kaioshin gasped.

"Who shall I eat first?" The monster asked, peering at the fighters opposite him; a strange glint of yellow in his eyes as he passed over each one. Something told Hairiyu that he wasn't kidding about the eating part; he looked like the monsters she'd seen in fairy-tale books and children's movies. Figured something like that would actually exist somewhere in the universe.

"Try me!" Goku stepped forwards offering himself up to the monster who eyed him up further. Goku didn't seem as thrilled to have Yakon for an opponent, "... Why'd I have to get this guy? Sure he's big but he looks kinda dumb to me... and it doesn't look like he's very fast either." He mumbled more to himself than the others. Nevertheless the Saiyan put up his guard waiting for the monster to make the first move, if he were to make one at all.

Hairiyu almost missed it, jaw opening a little with surprise! Yakon's fist had been thrown in the blink of an eye and something had extended from it; Goku'd narrowly dodged it. No doubt he as well as the others had underestimated this thing's speed. Goku landed, stunned by the large rip opening up in his orange shirt. There were two large claws sticking out of Yakon's lower arms.

"He's big but he's fast," Gohan noted bringing one hand up to cup his chin between his thumb and index finger.

"You were very lucky but you won't get away with it this time!" Yakon jeered.

"So those claws can pop out? I'd better watch it..." Goku mumbled.

"_Good work Yakon! I knew I could count on you!"  
_

Hairiyu looked up and around baffled. Where was that voice coming from? "Who is that?" She asked no one in particular, except maybe Kaioshin.

"It's Babidi; he's using his magic," Kaioshin answered instantly recognising the voice.

"_You can kill them all except for Kaioshin!"_ Babidi's voice echoed through the room,_ "Take their energy and Buu will return to us! To end it more quickly, I'll take you to your favourite planet; the Dark Planet!"  
_

"What's the Dark Planet?" Hairiyu asked. No one answered her question; there was no need to! Babidi had once again changed the room... and Hairiyu couldn't see a thing! Again she was grateful there seemed to be oxygen on this planet though apparently there was not much else, not even light! The immediate chill hit her and she instinctively brought her arms closer to her chest, clasping onto them in a bid to conserve body heat. There was a dank smell and a light breeze though for the most part everything was still.

"Hey, I can't see anything in here!" Goku's voice came from a little way ahead of her.

"Welcome to the Dark Planet!" Yakon's booming voice was even further ahead. "You can't see me but I can see you!"

"It looks like Yakon feels right at home here," Gohan was a little ways to her right, probably the closest person standing next to her from what Hairiyu could tell.

"Yakon was born here," Kaioshin explained, "This planet is in the furthest place in the universe; no light can reach it."

Sight wasn't going to be helpful anymore; Hairiyu began to focus her other senses. She could feel Goku and Yakon's ki moving around in front of them and above them, she could feel the small vibrations and shockwaves in the air as the two of them moved and fought, each strike sending off a shockwave, ki denting and increasing warning them of any oncoming attacks. She could hear them moving and fighting. From the feel of it, Goku was dominating his opponent.

"Can anyone tell what's happening?" Kaioshin asked worried. Hairiyu was a little surprised the man wasn't using the same techniques as she – and certainly her father and maybe Gohan if he remembered – were using to sense the progression of the fight. Surely he was supposed to be one of the greatest fighters in the universe being the Kaioshin and all... Perhaps she overestimated his capabilities. Such a thing seemed incredibly rude and disrespectful to say but she couldn't help it; from what they'd seen so far, Kaioshin had been surprised with almost everything the Saiyans had done! Perhaps he'd underestimated them rather than it being the other way around.

"Kakarrot is winning," Vegeta answered sounding bored. He couldn't be blamed for feeing that way; Goku seemed to be having no problems at all against Yakon who was yet to land a successful blow on the Saiyan.

Goku landed a couple of metres in front of the group. "Looks like we're better than you thought," He spoke to Yakon, "Even in the dark I can tell what you're doing by feeling the flow of tiny air currents! Oh, and I can smell you too! I do have one way I can see you..."

The room was immediately filled with a fantastically bright light; everyone could see again as Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan. The sight surprised Yakon whose eyes had widened, almost appearing as if they were about to pop from their sockets! It turned out they'd been standing under a rocky outcrop which sheltered the entrance of a cave. A small pool of water explained the smell of damp and the drip-drop sounds heard every-so-often in the background. Behind them there was no signs of light, only the cold reaches of space, though the view of thousands of stars spanned across the dark veil above was breathtaking to look upon.

"See, it's as bright as day!" Goku smirked. "Do you get it now? Making it dark won't get you anywhere!"

Yakon smirked, "... So you fixed it so I can't hide in the dark?"

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow in confusion. Yakon didn't look too concerned about any of this or the fact that Goku's power had multiplied many times compared to a second ago. The monster's mouth opened wide. Suddenly the wind began to pick up and head straight towards Yakon. Goku shifted forwards against the ground trying to resist, his aura behaving rather strangely as if it too was being affected and pulled by the wind! Hairiyu'd never seen anything like it!

It went dark again.

"What? It's gone dark again?" Gohan spluttered, voice echoing against what Hairiyu now knew to be rocks.

"No, Kakarrot's transformed back to his normal state," Vegeta answered.

"Of course!" Kaioshin realised. "Yakon consumes light energy! Goku's Super Saiyan energy is the perfect food for Yakon!"

"He eats light?" Hairiyu repeated unsure of how such a thing would even be possible. "So would he eat energy blasts too?" Perhaps energy attacks were best not used against him if all he'd do was devour them.

"Yes," Kaioshin answered.

"Dad, don't turn into a Super Saiyan!" Gohan called loudly. "He eats light energy!"

"That is correct!" Yakon's voice came from up ahead. "I'd love another helping if you'd oblige! I've never had such tasty light before!"

"... Alright, I'll give you some!" Goku responded.

"What is he thinking?" Vegeta muttered.

"Did I hear that right?" Hairiyu asked unsure. She was sure giving Yakon more light to eat would only work to the monster's advantage. What was Goku thinking; he wasn't a fool. He'd have something in mind especially if he was doing something the others considered to be risky.

"No dad!" Gohan cried nervously. "Don't transform! I'll fight too! That way you won't have to be a Super Saiyan!"

"I'm gonna handle this myself! Stay back Gohan!" Goku ordered. As promised he transformed into a Super Saiyan again much to Yakon's joy.

"I'm going to make a meal out of you!" Yakon roared with laughter.

"Has he gone crazy?" Kaioshin asked in disbelief. "Why do you all insist on fighting alone? This isn't a game! He's being stupid!"

"Kakarrot isn't being stupid; he must have a plan!" Vegeta retorted impatiently, keeping his eyes pinned to the battle before them.

That strange suction began again, Goku being dragged slowly towards Yakon as his energy was drained. Even from where she stood Hairiyu could feel the difference in the breeze slowly passing them though she was not close enough to be sucked towards it as Goku was.

She noticed it in his ki. Goku's ki skyrocketed. In that same instant Yakon exploded.

"Alright, dad won!" Gohan smiled in relief.

"Hey, the door's opening!" Goku called.

Hairiyu followed the others and jumped down the hole, impressed and slightly excited with what she'd just seen.

"Dad, I felt that ki! That was awesome!" Gohan smiled enthusiastically.

"Not bad, huh?" Goku responded as they fell down the third shaft for the day. The group landed in yet another room identical to the two before much to their confusion and annoyance. Hairiyu rolled her eyes and let out a small sigh. Finally.

"So we're still not through?" Gohan asked looking around discouraged. "I wonder how many more floors we have to go down until we reach Babidi."

"I'm just glad I'm gonna have a chance to fight today!" Hairiyu smiled stepping forwards and stretching out her muscles. "I didn't even get to have my first match at the Budokai thanks to a certain someone being too irresistible for those energy thieves!"

"Hey, I didn't know what was going on," Gohan pouted. "That's a little unfair of you to say!"

"I know, I'm joking Gohan," Hairiyu chuckled shaking her head. "None of us except for the Kaioshin knew what was going on."

"It'll be interesting to see how much you and Gohan have progressed in these last seven years," Goku smiled.

"Well somebody wouldn't get off my back about training so I had no choice!" Hairiyu grumbled rolling her eyes, making a quick glance over to her father who ignored her quip for the most part.

"The way things are now, Hairiyu is stronger than Gohan," Vegeta muttered. "Whilst your son took peace-time as an excuse to slack off, Hairiyu's kept up her training! He's been growing weaker and weaker while she's managed to overtake him. Of course whether or not she compares to us is another matter." Naturally he was proud to say to his rival that his daughter was superior in strength compared to his son though it had come at a price. The new saviour of Earth had slacked off and his hidden powers had been the catalyst of Cell's defeat. His daughter did not possess such skills, even as the illegitimate princess of the Saiyan race, who knew what would happen if Gohan were to have his hidden powers awakened. He was certain Hairiyu would win her battle unless she were to do something stupid. His interests now lie in Gohan's capabilities.

"I hope I'm not kept waiting as long as Goku was," Hairiyu frowned. "I don't wanna go into battle feeling half-asleep!" In truth she was eager to get her fight over and done with or to at least find out who her opponent was!

The door suddenly began to open, much to Hairiyu's relief. Her heart began to pound in her chest; it was her turn now and she didn't want to be the first one of the group to lose. Out stepped a relatively humanoid being. He was pretty tall and muscular, had red skin and dark blue hair, and wore clothes quite different to those of the other minions; clothes which looked a little more human. She could sense his ki was poisoned with that Majin feel, no doubt the extra energy Babidi had provided the fighter with.

He stepped out before them, "Welcome to stage three. I will be your next opponent!"

"I'll be the one fighting you," Hairiyu stepped forwards.

The man seemed unimpressed, "... Just you? If you wish to stand a chance I suggest all of you come at me!" He snapped yanking his head a little as if he were trying to provoke them to charge.

"No way, I'm gonna be your only opponent!" Hairiyu glared more determined at him. "I'm sure I'll be fine fighting you by myself."

The man seemed to be growing annoyed, "... Master Babidi promises me these fighters are tough and here I am being sent a girl with a mouth too big for her own good..." He muttered.

"_Kadab, listen closely!" _Babidi was using his magic once again. _"Underestimate these Earthlings at your peril. They have already managed to defeat Pui-Pui and Yakon! Remember I am counting on you to get me some damage so we can resurrect Majin Buu! Fight at full power! I shall also be sending you to another planet to give you an even greater advantage!"_

With that the room suddenly switched. Those in the room were transported to a rocky planet with pinkish-purple skies, again none of the warriors had no trouble breathing. There were large mountains surrounding them and vast grassy patches between the peaks of rock. Hairiyu felt somehow the area looked similar to Earth in its own strange way. _'We're getting pretty lucky with all these planets having oxygen on them!'_ She joked to herself. Her opponent seemed at home which wasn't necessarily a bad thing: Hairiyu didn't appreciate the unfair advantages their foes were getting but so far it hadn't worked in their favour. Let them have their advantages, she was determined to win the fight and stop Babidi in his tracks for what he'd done to Gohan.

"It looks a little like outside the ship," Gohan mumbled observing the area, "...only the sky isn't blue! The grass is pretty long."

"So we'll fight here? That's fine by me," Hairiyu smiled.

Kadab glared at his opponent. "... These mere Earthlings took out Yakon? Hah, it must have been nothing but luck!" He lowered his stance and raised his defences. "I'll finish this quickly!"

"Oh!" Kaioshin gasped recognising the fighter. "Someone will need to join her in battle! Kadab is rumoured to be one of the fastest and most enduring fighters of his kind! Hairiyu alone won't be able to keep up with him!"

"Just watch and see what happens," Vegeta spat growing annoyed with the Kaioshin's panicked outbursts. "Every opponent we've come across so far has spooked you in some way and look what's happened to them!"

"Don't worry," Goku assured him. "If Hairiyu's been training for the past seven years then this ought to be an interesting fight."

Hairiyu put up her guard and waited for her opponent to make the first move. She'd heard Kaioshin's outburst and it had caught her interest. Her speed was one of her better attributes so it would be interesting to see just how fast this warrior was. She wanted to see how well she could handle him in her normal form and so didn't transform into a Super Saiyan. This wasn't just for Gohan anymore; this fighter had brushed her off as inadequate and for that he would pay, this was also about pride. Goku and her father before him had both handled their opponents with little difficulty by themselves and she wouldn't let them down.


	83. Chapter 082

**Chapter 082 – Kadab and Dabura**

Kadab was fast. Hairiyu could still see him although not as clearly as she'd anticipated. She jumped to the side as he tossed forward his fist; turning on the balls of his feet and lunging for her. Kadab's fists turned into a barrage of punches, all of which Hairiyu had to block. Indeed she would need her Super Saiyan form against this guy if this wasn't his maximum. Spotting an opening Hairiyu decked Kadab clean in the face, sending the fighter skidding across the ground on his heels. He seemed genuinely surprised yet Hairiyu couldn't see any sign of damage on his face. Yes, she would more than likely need to transform if she was going to make any sort of impact on him. His endurance was impressive. _'This guy certainly seems fast and durable, just like Kaioshin was saying...' _Hairiyu clenched her fists. "Alright then, Super Saiyan it-"

Hairiyu barely had any time to register what was happening before Kadab elbowed her in the cheek. Hairiyu was sent flying backwards, disappearing with a large crash into a nearby boulder.

"Hairiyu!" Gohan cried concerned.

Hairiyu's vision quickly returned as did all her other senses. Her head pounded from colliding with the rocky wall, her cheek hurt from the initial strike. What hurt the most was knowing she had been the first fighter to take some damage and had been the first fighter in this ship to provide energy for Majin Buu. Hairiyu rose to her feet and glared indignantly at her opponent, her temper aroused. "You're so dead."

The loose fragments of rock around her began to rise into the air as Hairiyu powered up into a Super Saiyan with a roar, anger starting to run high. Now was not the time for messing around; she was too much at risk from his attacks and needed to end it quickly.

Kadab was inches before her in the blink of an eye with one fist rolling out towards her. Hairiyu ducked and dodged his attacks, spotting an opening and kicking Kadab in the gut. Kadab shot backwards through the air; Hairiyu teleported reappearing behind him and decked him down into the ground with both fists cupped into a ball. Kadab vanished into a dust-filled crater, the loud eruption of displaced soil and rock rumbling through the fields.

"That was for not letting me finish my sentence!" Hairiyu snapped. She spotted a small glint of purple light within the dust and quickly leapt backwards on guard, though it wasn't an energy attack as she'd first thought. With a loud roar Kadab's ki dramatically soared higher and higher; Hairiyu guessing he was powering up to his maximum form.

Nearby the spectators were watching with interest.

"Kadab's getting angrier... We must stop this foolishness and work together!" Kaioshin cried. "Kadab is not one to think rationally when he is angry! He's ruthless; Hairiyu won't be able to last!"

"He's stronger than the other fighters, I'll give him that!" Goku did not share Kaioshin's concerns, he seemed more excited about the fight than anything. "He's not as strong as that Dabura guy though so he's not strong enough to even challenge Hairiyu, not seriously anyway!"

Kadab charged up towards the Super Saiyan and lashed out. His attacks were still being dodged and Hairiyu could see as he grew angrier his attacks became sloppier. So he did have limitations. Infuriated with his lack of progress Kadab threw a punch; Hairiyu catching it in her palm. The stoic look on her face irked him further, "I'll kill you, you scrawny Earthling!Don't mock me!" He drew back his other fist and went to punch; again Hairiyu caught it. Her body shifted as she brought her legs up to her chin, booting Kadab in the chest and sending the fighter into another mountain.

"See, what'd I tell you?" Goku smiled at Kaioshin.

"She's gotten a lot stronger in these seven years," Gohan agreed.

Vegeta stood in silence watching the battle. So far so good.

Kadab emerged from the dust and shot up towards Hairiyu, charging up an energy attack as he did so. Hairiyu brought her arms across her body in a defensive stance and roared as she threw them both out to the side, expelling energy as she did so. Kadab was hit by an invisible blast of ki and sent spiralling back towards the ground, managing to stop himself before he hit. The energy blast was still in his hand. With one swift movement of his arm he launched it towards his opponent. Kadab's energy blast shot towards Hairiyu rapidly. With little effort she dodged it and glared back down at him. "Bit of a desperate move don't you think?" She jeered unimpressed with his apparent lack of strategy.

"Don't be so cocky girl!" Kadab grinned.

Hairiyu studied his face for a moment before glancing over her shoulder. "... So it's one of those kinds of ki attacks?"

She leapt up higher into the sky as the blast dashed past her again, turning and honing in on her once more. Hairiyu shot backwards through the sky as the blast followed her, unable to tell if it was following her because of her ki or because Kadab was controlling its movement...

She hadn't noticed her opponent was on the move. Hairiyu gasped and ducked as Kadab went in to attack, narrowly dodging his fist and ramming her own into his jaw. Her attention went back to the ball of ki; she knew exactly where this was going if she let it continue. With a bellow she sent out a kiai at the blast; deflecting it and sending it over her head.

Kadab closed in on her and grabbed her by the wrist, spinning Hairiyu around several times and releasing her – in that instant of release, Hairiyu grabbed his own wrist and used this force against him, tossing Kadab straight into his own oncoming ki blast! The explosion knocked Hairiyu back slightly though she quickly recovered and landed safely on the ground in front of the others. Her eyes stayed focused on her opponent who was just emerging from the smoke; he landed on heavy feet a metre away and glared at her.

"This... this is insane!" He snarled. "You're just a human – a measly little human! How can I be losing to someone like you? How does a human like you even contain this amount of power?"

Hairiyu glared intensely back at him. "This isn't my full power: I can go far higher than this... Why don't you just give up and let us pass through?" She wasn't one to needlessly kill an opponent, no matter how much her father had tried to install that kind of thinking into her. She was primarily an Earthling with Earthling values, she would not stoop so low to kill an opponent who stood little chance against her. Today would be no different.

"Let you pass through? You must be joking!" Kadab snorted. "... Master Babidi – transport us to the Planet Ab! I'll finish her off and get you the energy you need for Majin Buu there!"

"_The Planet Ab it is! Don't let me down Kadab!"_

Hairiyu watched as the scenery around them changed yet again, this time to a planet covered in mist. She couldn't make out any landmarks of any kind. The ground below her felt a little less solid and she immediately hovered above the ground, unsure of what it was; mud, quicksand or something unfamiliar to Earth. What was so special about this place...?

It didn't take long for her to realise. Hairiyu couldn't sense any ki around her! _'Ok, it's just like on the Dark Planet! Feel the movement...'_

Something was on her left; Hairiyu dodged Kadab's energy blast, gasping and ducking when she sensed another one heading straight for her! The lack of sensing ki was something she wasn't entirely used to and made her uneasy but she'd trained enough to be able to detect movements, just as Goku had against Yakon.

Nearby Gohan, Goku, Vegeta and Kaioshin were standing watching through the mist. None of them could see Hairiyu but could see purple lights dashing around inside the thick mist.

"This could be a problem," Gohan mumbled. "Maybe I ought to go help her."

"She's fine," Goku spoke.

"How do you know that? We can't sense her ki!" Gohan asked.

"Just trust me on this one, ok?" Goku replied glancing over to his son. "I haven't felt any collisions in the atmosphere, only movement. Hairiyu's doing fine."

"If you say so dad..." Gohan slowly nodded his head.

"... She's toying with him..." Vegeta muttered. "If she'd finished this off sooner she wouldn't be having this problem!"

Kadab stood in an area of mist not too far from Hairiyu, able to control his energy attacks with ease...

Something moved to his right; Kadab turned just to be punched in the face by Hairiyu, the Super Saiyan's relentless attack letting up only as the homing energy blasts approached her from behind. Kadab managed to turn them away from himself and after her; Hairiyu racing higher and higher into the sky. She began to charge up energy into each hand as she rose, stopping in mid-air and tossing two separate blasts down towards the oncoming attacks. The explosion in front of them shook the ground the spectators stood on. A light gust pushed some of the mist away but this was replaced by dust and smoke from the explosion.

Hairiyu charged down to the ground, bouncing off it on all fours and charging head-first into Kadab, once again beating him down. With a bellow she gathered her energy and expelled it all around her, pushing the mist away from where she stood as well as sending Kadab flying into a nearby lake with a mighty splash.

'_I can sense him if I'm close enough to him... there's gotta be something in this mist interfering with my senses because I still can't sense the others...'_ Hairiyu waited patiently as Kadab rose to his feet, soaking wet from the cold water he'd landed in. _'He's gotta realise by now he can't beat me... He's only had one strike in and that was because my guard was down!'_

Kadab trudged out from the water looking more irate than ever. "... Girl... This ends now! NO ONE IS FASTER THAN I AM!" He began to gather purple ki in his hands charging up yet another energy attack. With a bellow Kadab fired off his attack, the beam rapidly closing in on Hairiyu.

The Super Saiyan stood defiantly as the attack charged straight towards her. She revved up her aura and held out both hands...

The spectators felt a shockwave quickly followed by strong gusts of wind; the mist rapidly dispersing revealing the oncoming beam and the two fighters either side of it. Hairiyu was currently pinned between the ground and the oncoming attack, so far keeping it from moving further forward.

"I can see them now!" Gohan spoke nervously. "This looks bad."

Hairiyu's feet dug deeper into the muddy surface of the ground as she held the beam at bay, focusing her energy as she did so. It was now or never.

Kadab suddenly felt extra resistance to his own attack as Hairiyu took a step forwards, then another, much to his disbelief. The Super Saiyan screamed loudly as she began to raise her ki level, which suddenly bolted as she became shrouded in a blinding bolt of light. The aura emitting from her completely cancelled out the oncoming beam and deflected it up into the sky. The electrical build-up around her body generated through the damp air as she slowly approached him; eyes and glare far sharper and menacing than before.

Her legs twitched as she pushed off the ground.

Kadab gagged with shock, the wind knocked out of his body as one blow was dealt. Hairiyu's fist had pierced through his stomach; a couple of blue flashes bright enough to be seen through his skin.

It was too late for him to do anything. Hairiyu's attack exploded inside of Kadab's body, destroying him in the heat of her beam. Every trace of him vanished in a matter of seconds.

She raised her free arm, sensing the deflected beam coming straight down at her. The ki attack struck and exploded on impact with a thunderous roar; mud and dirt being tossed up through the air. As the cloud of smoke subsided, Hairiyu emerged unscathed still in her Super Saiyan 2 form. Without a word she walked back over towards the others, noticing the hole in the floor was opening.

"You did it!" Gohan cheered. "I can't believe it, you can freely control your Super Saiyan 2 form now!"

Hairiyu sighed and transformed back to her normal state, "I've been able to do that for a while now." She nodded. As much as her human side was crying out in protest, she'd had a change of heart as for the fate of her opponent. She couldn't have left him alive, not in the state she was going to leave him in, that would have been crueller than killing him. Unfortunately his death also meant they could pass onto the next room and grow one step closer to Babidi.

"You could have ended that fight far quicker if you hadn't toyed with him!" Vegeta snapped. "Thanks to your idiocy, you took damage!"

"I wanted to give him a chance to live!" Hairiyu pouted, a little sore still from that hit. It did disappoint her she'd let him have that hit. It had been a while since she'd fought with someone other than her father or Piccolo. She would never admit it in front of her father but the prospect of getting to fight other people again did excite her.

"Aww come on Vegeta, lighten up! Good job; you've gotten a lot stronger in seven years," Goku smiled at his former student. "Come on, let's go down and see what's on the next floor!"

"I'll bet it's a room looking exactly like all the others!" Hairiyu rolled her eyes wryly.

As expected the room at the bottom of the shaft looked like every room they'd been in so far!

"You're up next Gohan!" Goku smiled. "Let's see how your training's paid off!"

"As I said before Kakarrot, your son took peace as an excuse to slack off!" Vegeta scoffed. "We're stronger than he is now! Of course I could be wrong; maybe he got some practice in during his breaks or PE?" This last sentence was more of a jeer.

Gohan awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"I didn't think so..."

"W-Well hey, maybe if he gets angry enough he'll become all merciless like he did with Cell," Hairiyu suggested feeling a little bad for Gohan and annoyed her dad was picking on him!

The door to the side of the room began to slide open, all eyes on the emerging fighter.

Dabura stepped out into the room.

"Dabura!" Kaioshin gasped in horror.

'_Babidi must be getting desperate,'_ Hairiyu noted to herself, suddenly feeling a little nervous. Dabura was a pretty strong fighter from what Kaioshin had been saying; could Gohan stand up to him in his current state?

"You've defeated Kadab and reached stage four," Dabura smiled deviously, "Not bad for humans; in fact it's miraculous... but this is as far as you'll go. You'll have to deal with me now."

"Babidi must be getting pretty nervous if he's sent the top dog out already," Vegeta snorted.

Dabura retorted unfazed, "Talk is for the weak. Come at me, all of you!" He put up his defences.

"No way! I'll be your opponent!" Gohan interrupted annoyed.

"What?" Dabura glared at Gohan looking fractious as he eyed the young warrior up, "You dare mock me?"

"Hey, this place is too small and crowded," Gohan glanced around, "We should get your friend Babidi to use his magic; a different place would be better, like a spot on the beach... oh but we'd get sand in our boots..."

"Silence child!" Dabura snarled. "You will fight me here and now!"

"_Wait Dabura!"_ It was Babidi again. _"It may not be such a bad idea to pick another place for the fight. After all we'll need to keep my ship intact if we're to revive Majin Buu!"_

"Of course..." Dabura regained his composure and was back to his arrogant stance.

The room around them whirled in a variety of colours leading to an unknown place. It looked very similar to the scenery outside of the ship, mountains and pillars of rock as far as the eye could see, with a blood-red sky.

Gohan put up his guard.

"Gohan, stay focused," Goku smiled eager to see his son fight again for nearly seven years of being absent.

"Right dad."

'_Let's see how this turns out...'_ Hairiyu gulped and kept her eyes keenly on both fighters. "...Good luck..." She mumbled quietly, a feeling of nervousness coming over her. Gohan hadn't trained in seven years until a month or so ago; just how would he fare up against Dabura?

Gohan leapt forward, teleporting above Dabura and closing in on him.

The fight wasn't too intense and Hairiyu had no problems keeping up with both fighters' movements. Dabura seemed to have the advantage over Gohan which brought more tension through her body, she didn't like the thought of Gohan struggling and taking on damage. '_No, I have to stay out of this: it's Gohan's fight...'_ She reminded herself time and time again, watching as the demon king slowly overwhelmed Gohan, although he barely made a hit.

Gohan had almost plummeted into a lake but had regained his flight. Dabura was above grinning confidently. The tenacious teenager charged up at his opponent; Dabura fired off a blue line of ki; Gohan dodged and glanced down as the ki blade effortlessly slid through the water's surface and ground like a hot knife through butter, destroying a couple of nearby rock pillars. Two more were fired off; again Gohan dodging and glaring at his opponent.

Gohan dived into the lake below...

Seconds later an energy blast shot out from the surface straight towards the demon king. Dabura grinned and held out one hand to block the oncoming beam. Suddenly Gohan emerged to the side and struck Dabura in the arm, barely dodging his own attack. His opponent soared into one of the many surrounding mountainsides. After a couple of tense seconds the rubble burying the demon began to rise into the air along with Dabura who seemed unscathed...

"Gohan move!" Hairiyu gasped realising what Dabura was about to do. The boulders suddenly shot towards Gohan, knocking him backwards into a mountain, dust and rubble clattered everywhere.

The dust was quickly dispersed; the huge jump in his ki hadn't gone unnoticed by his comrades. Gohan emerged as a Super Saiyan.

"Finally, now we'll get to see a real test!" Vegeta muttered, "Let's see how Dabura does against a Super Saiyan."

"Yeah, it always makes things more interesting," Goku smiled.

Gohan's speed had increased; Dabura was caught off guard by the sudden strike to his stomach, followed by a punch between the eyes that sent him shooting back off his feet. A blow to the back of the head pushed him forwards and straight into the ground.

'_He's either off-guard or in trouble,'_ Hairiyu kept her eyes on the ground. Her head tilted back to look up at Gohan as Dabura made a quick dash, effectively appearing behind the Super Saiyan. The battle continued and now it seemed Gohan held a slight advantage, although Dabura seemed to be pretty endurable.

"Amazing..." Kaioshin spluttered.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Goku grinned proudly.

Dabura's energy started to rise; Hairiyu keeping a close eye on him as his ki soared higher and higher, a small part of her growing more confident when he reached what appeared to be his full potential. If that was his all then he was in trouble. The fighting grew more intense and brutal. Gohan had found an opening and had kicked Dabura backwards. The demon skidded on his heels and drew in his breath, suddenly firing off flames from his mouth like a flamethrower! Gohan evaded and charged in with a drawn fist ready.

'_No!'_ Hairiyu's eyes shifted behind Gohan who'd punched an after image.

Dabura fired off an energy attack from behind the fighter. Gohan was caught off-guard and sent crashing under the surface of the water.

"Aww no..." Goku sounded a little disappointed.

Hairiyu looked on a little pitiful. He had more than enough time to dodge that attack; he'd decided to block it? _'Gohan you're not thinking... Come on, think like a fighter!'_ She was eager to see him come back with little damage and show Dabura what he was truly capable of but she feared the damage of him not training for seven years was greater than she'd anticipated. He'd lost his fighting edge.

Dabura wandered over to the edge of the lake waiting for Gohan to emerge...

Two energy balls shot from the surface and flew around Dabura, both closing in on him. The demon king batted both attacks away effortlessly, turning and firing off an attack at the emerging Gohan, engulfing him in a thick cloud of smoke as it struck.

"Gohan!" Goku called nervously.

Hairiyu watched with her heart in her throat, worried about Gohan's condition. That attack had hit him at point blank. His skills were not what they used to be if he was still using these tactics. Dabura may not have the power Gohan had but he certainly had the wisdom and knowledge of a warrior.

The smoke cleared; Gohan had his arms in front of his head in a defensive stance.

"That was close..." She mumbled glancing quickly at her father and Goku.

"Dabura is far stronger than Kadab, Yakon, and Pui-Pui," Kaioshin warned making a small glance to Goku for the inevitable reassurance he'd grown used to hearing.

"... That's ok; so is Gohan," Goku answered.

Gohan ripped his torn shirt off and tossed it to the side. Both fighters began to hurriedly teleport around the surrounding area.

"... It's not working..." Hairiyu mumbled growing a little annoyed.

"What does Gohan think he's doing; a direct attack won't work on this guy!" Goku muttered. "He should know better than that!"

"This is what happens when you don't train for seven years!" Vegeta grunted. "He's completely lost his fighting sense! Pitiful!"

"Dad's right," Hairiyu frowned feeling worried again. At this rate Gohan was in trouble if this was all he could come up with. If it had been her who'd ended up fighting Dabura, she could have easily taken him down.

"... I'm losing patience!" Vegeta growled.

Hairiyu grew confused as Dabura turned to glance towards them; completely taking his eyes off of his opponent...


	84. Chapter 083

**Chapter 083 – Return to Evil**

"This Dabura guy is giving Gohan a lot more trouble than I thought he would..." Goku spoke, eyes darting from side to side as he followed Gohan and Dabura's rapid movements.

"He's tough but he's not unbeatable!" Vegeta grunted. "Gohan's gotten soft! He was a lot stronger when he was a little kid!"

"Hey, at least he's trying," Hairiyu spoke out, "He's not doing too bad against him, I mean Dabura's barely had any hits in that did damage!" Her eyes stayed on Dabura, baffled and concerned when she noticed once again he seemed to be looking towards them. _'... Why's he looking over here?' _Was it to check over his other opponents who he seemed so sure he'd be up against, or was it for a different reason?

Gohan charged at his distracted opponent. Dabura turned back around and inhaled again, this time shallower than before. He launched some spit straight for his oncoming foe.

"Gohan be careful!" Kaioshin bellowed. "If his spit touches you you'll turn to stone!"

A hand shot in front of his face blocking the spit as it struck. Hurriedly Gohan tossed his glove off; it struck the ground and shattered into tiny fragments of stone, quickly vanishing as the wind carried it away fragment by fragment.

"Close one..." Hairiyu exhaled in relief. They barely had any time to try to stop the magic of his spit happening from the looks of things; it was incredibly fast and dangerous magic to be the wrong end of. Dabura leapt up into the sky for his opponent, suddenly summoning a sword in his hand! He grabbed the hilt with both hands and swung it down directly aiming for Gohan's head-

The Super Saiyan's hands stopped the force as he held the blade between them, yelling out as he strained the blade. For a couple of moments Dabura and Gohan struggled to overpower their opponent, both struggling until finally the sword snapped in half under Gohan's pressure, the Super Saiyan tossing it to the side. The broken blade sliced through the ground slightly before it stood embedded within the soil. Dabura dropped the hilt and glared at the young fighter.

"... I can't take this anymore; this is ridiculous!" Vegeta spat. "Kakarrot call him back; I'll finish off Dabura!"

Hairiyu turned and looked at her dad; he sounded as if he'd run out of patience and indeed he looked pretty furious. Her own temper flared a little but she kept it under control; as much as she wanted to support Gohan in his fight, she knew that if any of the others had ended up fighting Dabura the battle would probably be over. He was nowhere near to finishing the fight and Dabura was slowly running out of chances. Gohan's lack of training had cost him dearly, he had lost his edge and was almost the shadow of himself when he fought Cell all those years ago. It was a sad sight to behold.

"Come on Vegeta, let Gohan finish this," Goku insisted, "He's still got a chance!"

"Dabura's toying with him; you know that!" Vegeta bellowed infuriated. "Why should I sit around all day acting like this matters? I could end this in five minutes if I wanted to! I'm not here to play games or make nice father-son memories; I'm here to win! I just want to get this over with so I can fight you; that's why I went to that stupid tournament!"

"Dad calm down, Gohan's not doing this to spite you!" Hairiyu deliberately spoke in a calm voice, knowing from past experience shouting back only riled him more which would just be counterproductive right now! "I'm sure he's trying his best!"

"Stop making excuses for him! He's a weakling, a disgrace of a warrior!" Vegeta snarled. "The strongest one should be the one to end this! I should be fighting, not him!"

Before anyone could counteract his argument, the scenery rapidly changed back to the inside of the ship, baffling everyone! What was going on? Why had they suddenly been returned to the ship? It didn't make any sense!

Dabura returned to the floor and wandered towards the door.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Gohan protested. "Are you running away?"

Dabura glanced over his shoulder and sneered, "Running away? No... I don't need to deal with you anymore because we have found a new recruit; the perfect fighter..." With that he vanished behind the door, vanishing somewhere inside the ship leaving the group to wander in their own thoughts.

"... The perfect fighter?" Hairiyu repeated confused. "What's he talking about?" Did Babidi have anyone stronger than Dabura on his side? Hard to believe considering they were now on the fourth floor and Kaioshin seemed amazed the warlord could wield such a powerful fighter under his powers.

Gohan landed on the floor beside them, "... So what now?" He asked uncertain of what was to come.

"I'm not sure," Goku shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't understand what's going on," Kaioshin confessed. "Dabura is Babidi's greatest fighter; it doesn't make sense that he would withdraw from the fight! They don't have anyone after him; he's their best!"

"He mentioned a new recruit," Goku pondered, "Do you think he was bluffing?"

"I'm not sure; it seems unlikely that a fighter of that calibre would just waltz in at a time like this..." Kaioshin replied suspiciously.

'_I dunno; there's at least four of us at a higher calibre than Dabura standing right here!'_ Hairiyu looked down at the floor. Part of her was now starting to wish she'd been the one to fight Dabura. At the rate Gohan was fighting he could have taken out her own opponent and she could have beaten Dabura; if she'd known it would end up this way she would have offered to trade... providing Gohan agreed to it! There was no use beating themselves up about it now, none of them knew of the capabilities of their opponents or who they'd even end up against. Nothing could be done about it.

"They're definitely up to something..." Gohan mumbled.

"This whole thing would be over if it wasn't for you!" Vegeta snapped turning to Gohan, approaching the taller fighter. "I hope you're proud of yourself; you disgraced us with your pitiful performance! There's no excuse for you fighting the way you did! You have Saiyan blood running through your veins; a warrior like Dabura should be dead!" His anger got the better of him and he threw out one palm, knocking Gohan backwards a few steps.

"Hey back off!" Hairiyu protested annoyed with her father's behaviour. This was no time to argue, even if Gohan hadn't done as well as they'd all hoped.

"Shut up and butt out for once!" Vegeta bellowed furiously before turning back to Gohan; Hairiyu resentfully keeping quiet and glaring venom at her father's head. His temper was controlling him, leading him to taking his wrath out on those he was supposed to be friends with. Seeing this didn't sit well in her stomach. The Saiyan Prince continued, "Now you're sitting here scratching your head wondering what's next when it should already be finished! You are pitiful, fighting with that soft righteous look on your face! It's brute strength that determines a fight, not goodness! The mightiest will survive and the weak will perish! Your Piccolo and Krillin were turned to stone; that's because they're weaklings! Is that the kind of fate you want for yourself? If you'd finished Dabura off they'd be back to normal!"

Gohan seemed to have clammed up a little; Hairiyu felt bad for him. She knew how unpleasant it was to be on the receiving end of one of her dad's rants; most of her empathy went towards his feelings to Piccolo and Krillin. There was no two-ways about it; killing Dabura was the only way Piccolo and Krillin could turn back to normal. Gohan'd just lost the chance to help save his friends...

"... Come on, Gohan didn't know that Dabura was going to run off," Goku butted in, "I'm sure he would have wanted one of us to fight him if he knew!"

"Oh there's a convenient excuse!" Vegeta turned his anger on Goku. "You're as soft as he is, Kakarrot! I'm tired of playing around! I'm going to put an end to this little game once and for all!" With one hand pointing to the floor Vegeta began to charge up his energy. "I'm taking control of this operation now and for starters I'm going to blow this ship to pieces!"

"W-Wait!" Kaioshin spluttered. "If you blow up the ship now, you'll most certainly revive Majin Buu! Listen please; you don't know Buu, his power is horrible! Not even the four Kaioshin combined could stop him; he's killed millions of people! Don't be a fool – If Buu's revived this planet's finished!"

"Dad, listen to him; he's right!" Hairiyu protested. "If you blow up this ship then the ground surrounding it will probably cave in on top of us; it won't solve anything!"

"Enough!" Vegeta yelled aiming the energy ball straight for Kaioshin. "Now you listen to me: what happens to this planet is none of my concern! The strongest will survive and the weak shall perish!"

"... What kind of person are you?" Kaioshin asked horrified.

Hairiyu stared at her father, eyes wider than before and jaw slightly agape. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard come from his mouth "... Dad?" Something wasn't quite right, her father hadn't said anything as malevolent in a good number of years, almost sounding as carless and cruel as he had years before when he'd still been under Freeza's command. Sensing he was deadly serious about hurting the Kaioshin and needing to somehow stop the tenseness in the room from escalating further, Hairiyu did the first thing that came to mind. Without second thoughts she teleported and struck her father clean in the face with a punch, knocking him back a couple of steps.

"Hairiyu!" Goku gasped nervously.

The second thoughts then entered her mind and she gulped as the anxiety and adrenaline flushed through her body. No wonder Goku'd sounded a little concerned with her actions. Trying to calm her dad down by punching him in the face? What on Earth was she thinking? Of course that wouldn't work! If anything it would just make things worse and indeed it had done. Vegeta's face was seething with fury as he slowly turned his head back around, eyes glaring with venom as they settled on her. His outstretched palm now aimed for her. Hairiyu felt the breath hitch in her throat with shock and disbelief but her warrior instinct kicked in; she immediately put up her arms in a defensive stance ready to attempt to endure the impending attack.

Goku quickly intervened, grabbing Vegeta by the wrist before he went too far. "Hey, cut it out! This has gone far enough! Let's put what's happened behind us and move on from here!" He ordered sternly.

"Sorry guys, I think I made that worse," Hairiyu apologised slowly putting down her arms.

Without a word Vegeta snatched his arm away from his rival and turned his back to them.

"... No point on getting angry about what you can't change," Hairiyu muttered folding her arms. She kept a worried eye on her sulking father, nervous over how he was acting and what he'd said. It had been a while since she'd seen this part of him, just like when he first arrived on Earth and when he fought with them on Namek, and for most of the battle with the androids and Cell. That uncaring, self-serving, heartless man...

A cold-chill ran down her spine and she stared horrified at him, too scared to openly speak about what had just entered her head. _'... Please no!'_ She couldn't be certain but now that the thought had entered her mind she couldn't shut it out. Was that Dabura's plan? Piccolo was currently turned to stone but her father was here and seething with resentment towards them all.

"Now what I wanna know is why did Dabura withdraw from the fight?" Goku asked.

"Yes, it doesn't make sense," Kaioshin agreed. "This was the perfect opportunity for them to gather more energy! Maybe Dabura wasn't bluffing, maybe they did find a new recruit."

"It's definitely a possibility," Goku nodded, "... but I don't see how. Happening upon someone that could beat us all? What are the chances of doing that?"

Hairiyu continued to watch her father who was keeping quiet after his outburst. She shivered again and looked around at the others, wondering if anyone else had considered what had popped into her mind. Kaioshin seemed to be uneasy about something but then again he'd been that way for most of the day. Goku and Gohan seemed more interested on intensely staring at the door. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions, maybe they'd found someone else. Anxious she etched towards Gohan and nudged him gently in the arm. "Gohan," She hissed quietly. "I think we're in trouble. My dad."

"Huh?" Gohan glanced down at her speaking in a hushed tone. "What do you mean? What about him?"

A brash scream tore her attention away from their conversation. She shot a deer-in-the-headlights look as her father screamed, clutching his head with both hands and walking around in a hunch, violently throwing his head back and forwards. Something was wrong, something was badly wrong.

"Vegeta, what's wrong?" Gohan asked.

"I knew it!" Kaioshin cried.

"What's going on? What's happening to dad?" Hairiyu demanded urgently turning to Kaioshin, though she had her suspicions.

"Vegeta, what's going on?" Goku asked.

"... Something's... attacking me!" Vegeta spat through groans and a strained voice.

"It's Babidi!" Kaioshin explained nervously approaching the flailing prince. "Vegeta, fight it! Resist!"

"Oh he didn't!" Hairiyu gasped, rushing towards her father though right now she wasn't sure what she was going to do. "Come on dad, don't let him get you! Fight him! Fight him!" She urged.

Vegeta screamed out as he powered up into a Super Saiyan, yet still he seemed to be in pain.

"Don't let him win Vegeta!" Kaioshin cried. "Don't let him do it! You've changed; you're not that way anymore! Babidi has no claim over you!"

"What's Babidi doing?" Gohan asked worried.

"He's trying to take over his mind and enslave him by manipulating the evil in his soul!" Kaioshin explained grimly. "He struggles because his heart isn't pure! Don't let him take you Vegeta! Empty your mind; the past is the past!"

"... Don't... order me...!" Vegeta was cut off as he screamed again, red electricity dancing around the room centring around him. One arm swung out wildly knocking Hairiyu back a couple of shaky steps, she almost lost her balance. Eyes remained pinned to her father as he rose up into the air, his ki began to flow with that noticeable stench. It was just like all the other slaves of Babidi had.

"Vegeta no!" Goku cried.

"Dad!" Hairiyu watched dismayed as her father battled with Babidi, praying in her mind he would overcome this. He had to overcome this; he couldn't turn on them! He was their ally and friend; she was his daughter; he couldn't go back to his old ways! "... Come on dad! You can do it!" She called, taking a couple of steps forwards, stopped by the electricity practically blocking her from advancing closer. "Dad you have to beat it!"

"Don't let them use you Vegeta!" Gohan yelled. "You're stronger than they are!"

A rogue bolt of electricity struck out suddenly, knocking Gohan off his feet and to the floor with a thud.

She was too busy staring to look over to Gohan, too busy watching her father struggle. In one final shockwave of power, his aura faded and he crashed to his knees, hunched over the ground.

Who'd won?

"Dad, talk to him!" Gohan cried.

"Vegeta, it's ok; we're here," Goku slowly approached him.

She observed him cautiously, face dropped upon realisation."...No... I can't believe it..." Hairiyu slowly shook her head in disbelief and denial, looking as if she'd just been told someone had died.

"What?" Gohan asked approaching her.

"Don't get any closer!" Kaioshin frowned grimly holding out an arm to stop Goku's approach. "...It's too late."

Vegeta slowly rose to his feet. At first it sounded like he was groaning yet this turned to a chuckle as he stood straight. Hairiyu's eyes fixated on the one physical difference. There was an M engraved on his forehead. Just like she'd noticed on all the fighters who'd come to challenge them in the ship; just like Spopovich and Yamu had. Her heart thumped and lurched in her throat and almost choked her as her eyes grew warm, prickling.

Before anyone could react, the scenery changed around them, colours flashing in a mess until finally their surroundings were revealed. Wherever Babidi had transported them was pretty packed judging by the shocked and confused murmurs of what sounded like a large crowd. The group stood in the centre of the Budokai ring. Over the other side of the ring stood Mr Satan and the announcer; both just as shocked to see them!

"Hey, we're back at the tournament!" Gohan gasped.

Hairiyu's body began to tremble. It wasn't through sorrow; it was anger. Her rage started to bubble she tightly clenched her fists and yelled up at the sky: "Change him back! Babidi!" Her scream went ignored as the announcer hesitantly approached them.

"Um, you're too late. The Budokai is over," He revealed.

Vegeta suddenly roared out and sent out an invisible blast of energy, knocking the announcer off his feet; Gohan catching him in mid-air.

"Dad fight it!" Hairiyu cried. "Stop it, don't hurt these people!"

"Shut up!" Vegeta barked, "I'm only interested in Kakarrot! The others can clear off!"

Hairiyu blinked and hung onto that answer. Had he been talking to her? It didn't sound like it. Was it Babidi instead? What was going on?

"... Surely you didn't?" Goku murmured.

"... Didn't what?" Hairiyu asked turning to the Saiyan.

Her father extended one arm out ahead, aiming straight for Goku. She watched aghast as a yellow ball of ki began to form in his hand, a sense of urgency gripping and hijacking her body, "Don't-!" She bellowed. Vegeta fired off the beam straight for Goku.

"You idiot!" Goku yelled as he hurriedly put up his defences, arms blocking the blast from progressing. The blast slowly pushed against Goku, his heels dragging against the tiled arena. It wasn't enough. Goku was knocked to the side.

"NO!" Hairiyu screamed as the blast struck the terrified crowds. The stand was reduced to rubble and smoke, in a single moment at least one-hundred-and-fifty people had been killed. The crowds were sent into panic, desperately trying to clear the stands. Hairiyu trembled in disbelief and shock, eyes wide and mouth gaping open as she stared at the destroyed stand.

Goku'd been thrown up into the air and was now landing back on the arena stage. He slowly turned away from the destroyed stand and glared back at Vegeta, his face showing signs of anger and repulsion.

Hairiyu finally turned away and looked back to her father; the hideous smile on his face sent shivers down her spine. He looked like a cold-hearted murderer... How could he have turned back into this? She thought he'd passed this, she thought he'd become more merciful and humane? Had the past seven years worth of change in him been a big rouse? Again she stepped forwards, "What have you done? Please stop this dad!"

"Hairiyu stay back!" Goku barked sternly.

"... How about it? Shall we commence?" Vegeta jeered with amusement.

"...This isn't the time Vegeta." Goku responded.

Vegeta smiled at his rival's response, "You'll fight with me Kakarrot, unless you want the bodies to keep piling!"

Hairiyu gasped on her breath and looked at her father. Her stomach began to grow warm as she began to realise. Her father falling to Babidi had seemed too unbelievable; she was sure her father could have probably overpowered the wizard. Even if Babidi had gotten someone as powerful as Dabura, her father was in a completely different league. She didn't know the full extent of the wizard's powers...

"You didn't..." Goku mumbled seemingly surprised. "... Vegeta... did you let Babidi control you on purpose?"

Again Vegeta extended his arm, this time to the side. Another energy blast was fired off for the crowds, screaming people wiped out in an instant as the attack struck and exploded, the cries of the dying and living drowned out.

It clicked.


	85. Chapter 084

**Chapter 084 – Awakening the Majin**

Hairiyu stared as the smoke rose from another part of the arena, another large mass of twisted metal and mangled bodies lay before them. Her mother! She hurriedly tried to locate her friends' ki realising they'd been sitting over in that same stand her father had just attacked, almost choking with relief and tears when she finally sensed them. Thank goodness they were safe, lost somewhere in the frenzy of screaming, terrified witnesses who were all desperate to flee from the murderer standing upon the ring amongst them. Her attention went back to the man before her, the man who'd just killed at least two hundred fleeing, defenceless bystanders.

"Vegeta stop this!" Gohan made a move towards the deranged Saiyan.

Vegeta glared and drew one arm across his body. "Stand aside!" He bellowed, expelling a gust of kiai which forced Gohan to fall onto his back. "This is between me and your idiot of a father!"

Hairiyu's stomach began to warm further, her brow slowly falling down her face. Something wasn't right here; he wasn't acting like the others had. The other Majin warriors seemed to be under Babidi's complete control. Perhaps her father was too strong to be fully taken over, or perhaps there was a different reason. She didn't fully understand it but she knew there was more to this than met the eye. The others may not have noticed it but she'd lived with the man for years, had grown up into a young woman living with him. It seemed that Goku'd noticed it too. He seemed to be the only one outside the family who'd ever understood her father.

Indeed Goku had had enough. His ki charged up as he transformed into a Super Saiyan.

"Dad no!" Gohan protested.

"Don't do it!" Kaioshin cried. "This is what Babidi wants you to do! He wants you to fight so he can gather energy for Majin Buu!"

"Vegeta, you surrendered to Babidi's spell to make me fight..." Goku spoke, ignoring Kaioshin, "... am I right?"

'_Don't tell me...'_ Hairiyu stared at her father, fists tightened by her sides. _'Tell me you didn't!'_

"... If I hadn't then I wouldn't have been able to fight you. After today you're leaving this world forever." Vegeta responded sounding a little calmer than before.

"... Just to fight him?" Kaioshin was genuinely shocked. "Who are you people? Don't you see preventing Majin Buu from being resurrected is more important than your meaningless squabble?"

Vegeta suddenly flared up, angry eyes turned on the shorter Kaioshin, "... Meaningless? What do you know of meaningless?" He yelled revving up his ki dust flying around the increasingly empty stadium. "Spend most of your life ruled by another, watch your race dwindle to a handful, and then tell me what has more meaning than your own strength! I don't care about Buu or what happens to this planet – this is what I live for! I have the blood in me of a Saiyan Prince; he is nothing but a joke! I've had to watch him surpass me in strength; me the Prince of the Saiyans; the strongest Saiyan of all! He's even saved my life as if I were a helpless child! I can't stand it! He has stolen my honour and his debts must be paid!"

For a moment no one spoke or moved.

Goku glared up to the sky, "Babidi! Take us some place where there are no people – only then will I fight Vegeta!"

"Wait!" Kaioshin yelled, "If you believe this is the right decision, then you'll have to go through me first!" He stood himself between the two Saiyans.

Hairiyu saw Goku extend an arm out of the corner of her eye, though she was too preoccupied with her father. Her rage was accumulating through her body, building and building, bubbling to the surface as the thought floated around her mind. Had he really let Babidi take control of him just to fight with Goku? Did he really prioritise fighting Goku over everything, even over the safety of his family? Hadn't he changed over the past seven years? Was he still the cold, evil Saiyan who'd never care about others?

Did his family really mean that much to him?

Something had happened; Kaioshin had backed down and had now stepped back to the side. The Budokai arena had been changed for a barren wasteland, dust carrying on the wind. It appeared Babidi had fulfilled Goku's request and had moved them to a different area on Earth.

"Fight as hard as you like," Kaioshin ordered, strangely cheerful than before. "Gohan, Hairiyu and I will break through the floor and fight Babidi and Dabura. Buu may be awakened by the shock but it would be better this way than if he reaches full power with the energy he'll absorb from you."

"Wait."

Kaioshin glanced over his shoulder at Hairiyu.

"Before we go, I wanna confirm something," Hairiyu muttered, glaring at her father with a feverish but controlled rage. "... You deliberately let Babidi win just so you could fight Goku. You let him manipulate the evil in your heart... that's how it works, right?" She quickly looked over to Kaioshin who confirmed it with a nod, before turning back to her father. "Do we mean nothing to you? What about mama, Trunks and me?"

"Hairiyu..." Gohan murmured nervously but she continued.

"What about the possible threat of Majin Buu? Do you not care that we're at risk? Are you so selfish and egotistical you'd rather fight with Goku than try to protect the ones that care about you?" Her anger was threatening to override but she desperately tried to keep control, fists trembling tightly. Her ki was rising and she knew it; she had to stay in control. "What about the last seven years? You stuck around and finally started paying attention to your family! You started to take an interest in training Trunks and me! Does that mean nothing to you? Are we important to you... or do you still see us as people holding you back?"

"Knock it off Hairiyu, it won't do any good," Goku muttered sternly.

"You chose your own selfish desires over your family!" Hairiyu's ki was threatening to start up her aura, tears pricking at her eyes but still she desperately struggled for control.

"My goal has always been to defeat Kakarrot and become the most powerful Saiyan alive." Vegeta muttered. "This is none of your concern!"

"... So we never mattered... Is that it?"

There it was. Hairiyu's anger had more fuel added to the already wild fire burning inside of her. She stood still, stiff and struggling to restrain herself from moving, clenching every muscle in her body to keep her standing on the spot.

Vegeta suddenly screamed and hunched over, clutching his head and falling to the ground. Struggling against the strain he slowly started to rise, "... I... won't! They... have nothing... to do with... my fight!"

"What's going on? Is it Babidi?" Goku asked, Kaioshin nodding, eyes still fixated on the Saiyan Prince.

"It'll take more than head games to stop me! You may have enslaved my body and my mind but there's one thing a Saiyan always keeps – HIS PRIDE!" Vegeta roared loudly as his ki skyrocketed, aura chucking buckets of dust away from him as he powered up, electricity dancing around his body as he stood strong.

"... You wanted to fight me that much?" Goku asked.

"We must waste no more time," Kaioshin ordered, "Gohan, Hairiyu; it's time. We must confront Babidi and Dabura!"

To their shock, the door in the floor opened up. "Hey, they opened it!" Gohan exclaimed.

"They must not want us to damage the ship," Kaioshin muttered.

"Yeah..." Gohan turned to his father, "Alright dad, we're off."

"Yeah, good luck," Goku dug into his pocket, "I have two more senzu beans left; you and Hairiyu should both share one and get your strengths back!"

He chucked a senzu bean over to Gohan who broke the bean in half, chewing on his part before glancing over. The demi-Saiyan noticed the reluctance and fury still present on her face as he passed her the other half of the senzu bean. "... Hairiyu, come on..." He frowned.

Hairiyu glared furiously at her father.

"... You couldn't have been more selfish if you wanted to... and this is the worst thing you could have done..." she spat before snatching the bean from Gohan's grasp. As she chewed on the disgusting bean she'd never grown to like the taste of, she looked to Goku. "You'd better beat him down, Goku."

The Saiyan remained quiet as she wandered over to the entrance to the floor, ignoring the sweet father-son moment happening between Goku and Gohan. She was far too busy trying to keep her temper, trying to keep herself from charging on the spot and attacking her father in rage. She thought he'd changed. She thought over the seven years since Cell, he'd stayed on Earth because he'd settled down and started caring about his family. He'd taken an interest in training his two children. Had that really meant nothing to him?

'_I hate you.'_ Her temper was still flaring as the trio descended down the shaft and soon landed on the next level. Before them were around twenty or so soldiers, each wearing the same uniform and the M on their bodies. They all seemed a little scared of the three that had appeared before them and stood huddled close together.

"It looks like we'll have to plough our way through these guys before Babidi will show himself," Kaioshin muttered.

"Leave it to-" Gohan gasped and hurriedly put up a force field. "Hairiyu!"

Hairiyu yelled out aggressively and expelled a kiai around them, flattening the terrified soldiers against the ship's walls with a heavy crunch. None rose to face them. It hadn't done anything; she was still angry.

"... You're gonna have to try and calm down," Gohan warned, "What if Babidi and Dabura sense some kind of evil in you whilst you're angry?"

"I... I know that..." Hairiyu grumbled. "How else am I supposed to feel? He's messed up everything, the selfish idiotic moron!"

"Hey, seriously," Gohan stepped towards her and put a hand on her shoulder. "... I'm sorry."

Hairiyu bit her tongue and exhaled slowly before giving a small nod. This wasn't going to be easy for her, she felt she'd just had her heart ripped from her chest and had it trampled on. She'd thought she and her brother and mama had mattered to him; how wrong she'd apparently been. "... I'm sorry too." She mumbled quietly.

At that instant the elevator door opened.

"Quick, let's move," Kaioshin ordered dropping down to the floor below; the two demi-Saiyans followed suit.

This room was different to the ones before them, a lot larger than the previous rooms. Finally they were face-to-face. Before them was a large pink ball sitting on a raised panel. In front of this ball stood Babidi and Dabura.

"Welcome," Babidi smiled.

Hairiyu glared venomously at the two blocking their way; just hearing Babidi's voice and knowing what he'd done irritated her. Her temper was starting to rile once again even though she'd just attempted to calm herself down. It couldn't be helped; he was the one responsible for all of this. He was the one who'd taken advantage of her father (or had it been her father who'd taken advantage of him?) and had provided him with his repugnant newfound energy.

"That's Buu's shell?" Gohan asked.

"Yes," Kaioshin confirmed.

"I finally meet you, Kaioshin," Babidi muttered stepping forward, "... you who killed my father."

"I've come to defeat you Babidi and stop you from resurrecting Majin Buu," Kaioshin retaliated, a serious and determined look on his face.

"Oh I don't think it'll be as easy as you think," Babidi smiled, "I have Dabura on my side after all."

"You think that bothers us?" Hairiyu snorted. "You're the little bastard responsible for turning my dad against us! Worried Dabura couldn't handle us so you set someone stronger than him against us?"

Babidi smirked, "Ah, so that Vegeta had a daughter? I wonder if she has any evil in her heart I could manipulate? I bet you're pretty mad with what I've done and with what he's done to all of those poor weaklings at that tournament?"

Hairiyu growled under her breath, desperate to bolt forwards and crush the little bug under her boot when Kaioshin held out a hand in front of her.

"Don't act rashly; remember Babidi has powerful magic. It was strong enough to take your father down," He warned.

"Dad wasn't overpowered," Hairiyu snarled through gritted teeth, "He let himself be controlled."

"In any case we'd better hurry," Gohan interrupted. "Dad and Vegeta may be fighting right now!"

"You're right," Kaioshin agreed, "You two should fight Dabura; I'll fight Babidi."

Babidi smiled, "You're out of time Kaioshin! Buu should be nearing full power any minute now! I don't want these fools to destroy my ship so I'll teleport us to the surface... PA-PARA-PA!" At Babidi's words their surroundings rapidly changed. Indeed they were immediately outside the ship.

"So be it," Kaioshin muttered. "We'll still defeat you and stop Majin Buu, somehow!"

"Just to make sure Dabura... you can beat these guys, right?" Babidi checked.

"Of course!" Dabura snorted, "I battled the boy earlier; it won't be hard to dispose of these little brats!"

"You ready Gohan?" Hairiyu asked. With a yell she began to charge up her ki, aura surrounding her as she suddenly transformed into a Super Saiyan, then to the next level and to a Super Saiyan 2. This was it; this was the final push to halting Babidi's plans. She had to do something about her father; she had to beat Babidi down and make him turn her dad back to normal. Beside her Gohan had also transformed into a Super Saiyan.

"You won't be able to stop me!" Babidi jeered. "I have far more magical power than my father and Dabura can take these-"

A high pitched beeping sound interrupted the conversation, catching Babidi and the others attention. The small wizard turned around and stared over to the large bulky shell. Hairiyu's eyes fell on the shell; she was sure that's where the sound was coming from, plus both Babidi and Dabura were staring at it...

Babidi rushed closer and went quiet for quite some time. "...He's at... full... power! Majin Buu's at full power! He's finally awaken!"

Hairiyu's heart momentarily stopped as the reality dawned on her. They'd barely been standing here and yet all that power had gone to Majin Buu? _'... This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't let it!'_ She cursed clenching her fists tightly. "Dad you idiot!"

"H-How could this have happened?" Kaioshin spluttered horrified. "How could they have dealt this much power already?"

"Dad and Vegeta must be fighting at a level beyond Super Saiyan limits!" Gohan cried. "The damage is greater!"

"We felt it from Goku earlier; he's definitely capable of Super Saiyan 2," Hairiyu added.

"I've miscalculated at every turn!" Kaioshin held his head, "This is the worst-case scenario!"

Smoke suddenly began to pour from around the shell through small vents, hissing loudly and rising into the sky above. Hairiyu watched helplessly, short on ideas. Her mind raced; Majin Buu was waking up, he was going to come out of his shell and then who knows what would happen! There had to still be something they could do! "... Gohan, let's go!" She yelled determined to at least attempt to stop the monster from appearing.

"No! It's too late!" Kaioshin was quick off the mark. "We must retreat now; it's our only option!"

"What?" Gohan gasped with disbelief the Kaioshin was suggesting such a thing. "We can't leave now, not like this!"

"Listen to me!" Kaioshin roared. "You can't beat Buu! No one can beat Buu! If we stay here we'll die! Hurry!"

"What do you suggest we do once we run away?" Hairiyu protested unconvinced. "If we leave now he'll start destroying this planet and killing people!"

"Don't be rash!" Kaioshin bellowed. "We have to leave! Trust me I know what we're dealing with! Neither of you can beat him, even as Super Saiyans!"

"... He's gonna be at full power anyway, we may as well stay and try to do something!" Gohan decided, eyes turning to Hairiyu. "Let's do this!"

"Right!"

Both fighters began to charge up their energy. Gohan drew back his hands in a Kamehameha stance; Hairiyu pulling both her hands to her side and charging up separate ki balls. The ground began to tremble from the pressure, dust spreading across the ground and through the air. With a loud yell the duo fired off their respective attacks straight for the shell. Dabura hurriedly grabbed Babidi and rushed out of the way; both were in the line of fire! The Kamehameha and Kentoka Flash struck the shell, fighting to dislodge it from its seal. Hairiyu kept her attack going, joining it to Gohan's Kamehameha and increasing the pressure on a single point instead of two separate points. She could feel it moving against their attack slightly; the steam still venting out into the sky. Just a little more...

The ball suddenly shot up into the air about twenty feet before crashing back down to the ground with a heavy thud, displacing dust and loose debris from the ground. Hairiyu stared observing the large lump unsure; had it worked? The shell suddenly split in half, each half rolling back and releasing a large plume of smoke.

"Here he comes!" Babidi cried. "Majin Buu is free!"

A few moments passed.

Nothing had appeared out of the shell.

No monster had popped its head out from the two halves.

"... It's empty?" Dabura stuttered baffled.

"... No..." Babidi gaped in shock, "... That's not possible... How? ...Why?"

Hairiyu's heart had lodged itself in her throat the instant the shell had split. She'd been sure it was all over. Yet she hadn't seen a monster appear...

Kaioshin began to chuckle nervously, quickly turning to a full-blown laugh. "It's a miracle! Sorry Babidi but it seems your Majin is dead! Looks like his years in captivity have weakened him so much the energy must have killed him!"

Babidi grunted in frustration.

"So what if we don't have Buu? I'm still here master, and we still have control over Vegeta!" Dabura smiled.

"This is all for nothing if we don't have Buu!" Babidi wailed now close to tears.

"Goku and Vegeta are probably evenly matched; I'll wrestle Babidi down and you two take on Dabura!" Kaioshin ordered sounding far more optimistic. "It's just like your father said, Gohan! Now's the time to unleash your rage and show your true power! Peace is within our grasp!"

"... No." Gohan shook his head.

Hairiyu's eyes were kept solely up to the sky. As Gohan muttered something about a strange ki getting bigger, she noticed there was something odd above them. The smoke that had come from Buu's shell... it hadn't dispersed in the air. It slowly began to move. Hairiyu gasped in disbelief. "He did come out of the shell!"


	86. Chapter 085

**Chapter 085 – Majin Buu**

The smoke which had come from the shell was moving bizarrely above them, gathering into a strange mass. It shifted and became more and more solid, slowly an arm became recognisable, then a leg.

"Is that...?" Babidi's shrill voice almost went unnoticed as Hairiyu kept her eyes glued to the smoke. Something was forming from it; she could see limbs and a head slowly forming, its ki growing dramatically all the time.

Finally it formed.

"BUUUUUU!" The being stretched out its limbs before heading down to the ground, landing heavily on its feet. It looked rather bizarre and pudgy. It was pink with some sort of strange antenna on its head, fat and rubber-looking. Its clothes looked unusual; a small jacket barely covering its chest with baggy pants, what looked like spandex, and a large purple cape. It glanced around and smiled, making what sounded like cooing noises as it moved about.

Hairiyu watched, slightly taken back with what she saw.

"... Is it?" Gohan asked unsure.

"Yes," Kaioshin confirmed, "I'll never forget that monster's face!"

"... I expected him to be bigger," Gohan confessed.

"I expected him to be a lot more aggressive..." Hairiyu mumbled. "He seems really calm and carefree... You sure this is the right guy?"

"Of course it is!" Kaioshin hissed, lowering his arms. "... It's too late now... we can't escape."

"... He's got a lot of ki, but I'm not so sure it's hopeless..." Gohan mused.

"What?" Kaioshin gasped, stepping forwards. "Are you serious?"

"If I can use all of my strength, we may be ok... plus Hairiyu's been training too so we might be able to pull this off... I hope," Gohan nodded, though he was trying to convince himself of his own words.

"... If this is his maximum then yeah, I guess we could," Hairiyu didn't sound so sure. She was more interested in what Buu was doing. Babidi was calling his name yet Buu seemed to be ignoring him! At one point Buu even spat his tongue out at the wizard! "Looks like they're having problems on their end," she added raising an eyebrow.

Dabura muttered something about Buu being a stupid loser – or at least that's what Hairiyu thought she heard. Buu stopped and glared, pounding his fists into the air with a growl. He hopped over to Dabura who seemed amused by the move.

"Sounds like this was a bust," Gohan muttered continuing to observe Buu's movements.

"No, this is no bust... This is Buu." Kaioshin growled.

Hairiyu watched silently. To her astonishment Buu started to blow stream from his head and arms, hissing loudly like a kettle being brought to the boil. The slits of his eyes barely opened.

Hairiyu almost choked on her own breath as Buu's power suddenly exploded. In a flash he'd pierced Dabura in the eyes, a kick knocking the demon king several times off the ground before crashing into a nearby mountain. He disappeared under the rubble.

Buu went back to hopping across the ground, coming to a halt and clapping.

"That was... astounding! Buu you're magnificent!" Babidi cheered.

"You felt that, right?" Gohan asked urgently turning to Hairiyu for confirmation.

"Yeah, Buu's ki suddenly bolted up!" Hairiyu nodded, her heart thumping inside her chest. "I can't believe just how strong he is! We're in trouble!" Buu's power had suddenly swelled into something she'd never imagined would be possible. There was no doubt in her mind now how things would turn out, Gohan had been wrong to think they could handle Buu and beat him. At best they'd be able to stall him but it would only be a matter of time.

"Buu..." Babidi stepped towards the pink majin, "...listen to me. I'm your master!"

Buu spat its tongue out at the warlord.

"Are you sure you want to defy me? I've read through my father's notes and I know the spell that seals you away!"

This seemed to have caught Buu's attention.

"You don't want me to seal you away, do you Buu?" Babidi questioned slyly.

"Master!" Buu's high voice was somehow full of innocence as he bowed several times at Babidi, pleasing the warlord.

"He acts like a little kid..." Gohan pointed out. "Maybe if we kill Babidi, he'll be harmless?"

"As long as you don't annoy him he seems pretty harmless," Hairiyu noted.

"No!" Kaioshin gasped. "Without Babidi then we can't seal Buu away! You are both greatly misunderstanding the severity of the situation – you don't know Buu! He's a monster! There will eventually come a time when even Babidi can't control him; then we'll have to hope he seals him away! ... I curse myself for my mistakes; I honestly thought I could stop Babidi... If I'd known you humans were as strong as you are, I could have used you the other way..."

"The other way?" Gohan repeated.

"No... It doesn't matter whether I tell you or not now; we're all doomed..." Kaioshin lowered his head with disheartenment, assured there was now nothing that could be done to stop the monster.

"There's gotta be at least something we can do!" Hairiyu grunted in annoyance. "Enough with this doom-and-gloom attitude; tell us something that could help against Buu!"

"There is nothing!" Kaioshin replied.

"Buu! Your first order is to kill those three!" Babidi's order was carried on the wind. Hairiyu quickly glared up to Buu and Babidi anticipating Buu to come charging at them.

Before she knew it Gohan had grabbed both her and Kaioshin and had bolted it off the ground. Babidi and Buu quickly became dots on the horizon as they fled the scene, "Don't worry; I'm sure of my speed at least!" Gohan cried.

"Hey, let me fly – I'm faster!" Hairiyu yelled over the wind; a shadow darted before her stopping her from speaking any further, eyes shifting ahead of them. It felt the moment lasted forever. She saw Buu overtake Gohan.

Gohan stopped dead in his tracks; Hairiyu snatched her arm free and turned frantically around, putting up her guard as fast as she could.

"Die!"

A rush of air bolted past her as Buu swatted Gohan clean from the sky; the Super Saiyan crashing hard through the ground below, vanishing into a cloud of dust and rubble that'd been displaced.

"GOHAN!" Hairiyu screamed, hurriedly turning back up to face the Majin who now blocked their way, easily towering over her with his large mass. Though all the adrenaline and panic, another emotion found its way to the surface. Anger began to rise through her body again and she quickly moved between Kaioshin and the Majin. "Kaioshin, get outta here!" She ordered, suddenly lashing forwards and striking Buu in the face with a fist, connecting with an elbow to the head and finishing off with a knee to the jaw. The strikes knocked Buu head over heels and sent him flying back slightly. Quickly he recovered and floated before them. He didn't seem too bothered. Hairiyu dashed in again, a knee connecting with Buu's arm as the monster actually reacted to an oncoming hit. One swipe from the Majin was dodged as Hairiyu flew back out of harm's reach –

The other bulky pink arm suddenly extended outwards straight for her grabbing the stunned girl, swinging her up over his head and tossing her down towards the ground. Hairiyu clamped her eyes shut waiting for the impacting strike, unable to slow herself down in time...

When she regained consciousness she realised she was laying face-down on the ground. She could sense the fight was still going on. A scream passed her ears. She was sure she recognised it but for a while couldn't quite recall who it was.

Then it hit her. Kaioshin!

Hairiyu rose to her feet, albeit wobbly from her crash with the ground. She spotted Kaioshin on the ground; Buu sitting on top of him. Without much thought she started to run straight for them, charging up her ki into one fist. The ki in her clenched palm began to shine and manifest into a small aura as she closed in. With a yell Hairiyu jumped forwards and punched Buu straight in the back of the head, sending the unsuspecting Majin shooting across the ground and onto his face. Hurriedly she stood between Buu and Kaioshin, wiping the blood from her lip. How long had that been bleeding for?

"Buu! Get up, please Buu!" Babidi screamed from quite a distance away.

Hairiyu turned and glared furiously at the wizard, "You... You're the cause of all this! You can't even fend for yourself; you have to seek other people to protect you! That Dabura guy was being used; hell you're probably using my father too! You're the worst!"

"Silence pest; Buu will make mincemeat of you!" Babidi jeered defiantly though with every step Hairiyu made towards him, he took one shaky step backwards.

"BUU!"

Buu was suddenly on the attack and charging straight for Hairiyu. A sudden kick to his cheek sent the bulky monster skidding across the ground as Gohan landed in front of Hairiyu, revving up his energy.

"Hairiyu, no matter what happens, protect Kaioshin." He ordered. "We've gotta keep him alive."

"Well duh," Hairiyu snorted, "What's gotten into you? You should be worrying about yourself; you haven't trained properly in seven years!"

"Just promise me you'll protect Kaioshin and stay alive." Gohan responded.

"Well sure, I'm not in this to get myself killed..." Hairiyu stared confused at Gohan, a little nervous, "... What's going on?"

"He's coming!" Gohan charged forwards past Hairiyu and drew back a fist straight for Buu. Buu held out both hands in front of him.

"Dodge!" Hairiyu bellowed frantically.

He had no time to even react; Gohan was struck at point blank range. The energy blast engulfed him in a bright green light and pushed him back and into the sky, heading higher and higher, soaring towards the outer atmospheres and towards space. Hairiyu watched as the attack vanished into the distance, mouth slightly open and eyes wide with horror.

She couldn't sense him.

Gohan's ki flickered and vanished. He was out there somewhere attached to the other end of that energy attack. She could have sworn she'd felt a distortion. The attack must have exploded and killed him...

"Nice one Buu!" Babidi jeered pleased with the development. "He must have been pushed into space! Alright, enough of this! Kill the girl and Kaioshin!"

Hairiyu stared at the spot in the vast sky she'd seen Gohan vanish in, Babidi's voice breaking through her attention. That shrill, annoying and demanding voice. She'd had to endure the betrayal of her life because of that voice; the planet was now in danger because of that voice; her friends had been turned to stone because of that voice. Now Gohan had died because of that voice.

Her anger at her father earlier started to bubble up to the surface yet again. She couldn't run anymore. She was the only one left. Goku and her father were out there somewhere fighting each other, Gohan was gone, Piccolo and Krillin were stone, Kaioshin was unconscious. She was the only one.

"... I may go down..." She muttered, turning to face her opponent, "... but I'm not going down without a fight!"

With a battle cry Hairiyu began to power up, the ground breaking below her feet as she transformed back into a Super Saiyan, then a Super Saiyan 2. Majin Buu seemed unfazed by the power-up; he seemed more amused! "Girl looks funny; Buu kill!"

She pelted off the ground and charged the monster. A kick to the face literally knocked Buu's face into his skull! She spun around and kicked once again, knocking Buu clean into the sky. Feet tapped off the dusty ground as she charged after Buu, quickly catching up and decking him down towards the ground. Buu ploughed through the rocky surface, vanishing in the dispersed smoke and rubble. Hairiyu landed on the ground nearby, guard up. That hadn't been enough.

The ground began to shake as Buu suddenly emerged, flipping and landing on both feet. There were a couple of dents in his body – including his face – places Hairiyu'd hit. Hairiyu stared a little taken back. She hadn't expected him to just get back to his feet like this! She watched cautiously as Buu's body began to shudder slightly. Suddenly his face bulged out and turned back to normal! The dents in his body sprung back to normal! Hairiyu gawked shocked. "... What is he made of? It's like elastic!"

Buu chuckled and began to bounce up and down on the spot.

"That's it Buu!" Babidi cackled. "Transform into whatever you want – You'll never beat the Buu!"

'_Man that guy's annoying! Stupid scrawny little weakling!'_ Hairiyu glared quickly over to Babidi before turning back to Buu. From what she'd just seen, any physical attack could easily be repelled or fixed by this monster's body. If denting wouldn't work, she had to try and pierce it. Hairiyu brought her palms up to her forehead and began gathering ki. Buu watched curiously, much to Hairiyu's astonishment and relief. She continued gathering ki, emotions rising again as the Masenko grew larger. This guy had taken away her closest friend right before her eyes; the least she could do was try to avenge him and destroy this monster with his attack.

"Buu, don't just stand there! Do something!" Babidi snapped.

"Buu do!" Buu retorted cheerfully.

"This is for Gohan!" Hairiyu yelled, "MASENKO!" She threw her hands forwards and launched the Masenko; emotions overwhelming her as tears rolled down her eyes as she relived the moment Gohan had vanished on that green beam of energy. The yellow beam of light shot towards Buu who simply stood there-

A scream came from the monster as the Masenko pushed straight through his chest, knocking the Majin onto his back. The energy attack was directed up into space, vanishing into the skies and beyond.

Hairiyu crashed to her knees, tired from gathering and using so much ki, but also vulnerable from the overactive emotions she had to deal with. It had finally hit her. She'd seen her friend die, Gohan of all people had been killed. She could have stopped it from happening. She could have dived in and saved him! She'd let him down. Too much crap was happening right now, too many things close to her heart were being ripped apart before her and she could no longer hold back her reactions. Babidi's screams of horror rattled her brain further; she couldn't focus on anything in particular. _'Calm down... Now's not the time to be getting emotional! You've gotta clear your head! Clear it!'_

"Buu! Majin Buu!" Babidi was shrieking with horror.

The change in ki caught her attention. Hairiyu turned to look in amazement and disbelief, a wave of panic hitting her. Majin Buu was on his feet; a large hole in his chest... yet his face wouldn't even suggest he was in pain! That same old innocent face. Hairiyu shuddered in disbelief. "... No way..." Slowly she got to her feet, wiping her cheeks.

Buu's body began to shudder. Suddenly, somehow, the gap in his chest began to shrink until it was no more!

"Buu, you're ok!" Babidi sighed in relief. "Finish her off! Do it Buu!"

Buu began to hop over towards Hairiyu, who was tired and still trying to calm down and gather her energy. One jump forwards and Buu slammed head-first into Hairiyu! Hairiyu's feet scraped against the ground, her brow crossing as she glared at her opponent. Nothing was working!

'_No, don't think like that!'_ She scolded herself. She'd been taught better than to give up without putting up a fight. She had to protect Kaioshin from this monstrous being - she couldn't let Gohan's sacrifice go to waste!

Clenching her fists Hairiyu began to gather up her ki once again as Majin Buu made his way towards her, his innocent face sending chills down her spine. In one swift flex of her legs, Hairiyu leapt up into the sky and fired off an energy blast straight for the tubby pink being, the attack striking its target and exploding upon contact, sending clouds of dust towering high into the air. Hairiyu threw down several more energy balls to the ground in rapid succession, the ground swallowed up further by the dust displaced by the shredded ground.

Pausing, she patiently waited to see what had happened...

Majin Buu shot up from the smoke and grabbed her by the leg with an extended arm. Hairiyu struggled to slow herself down as Buu violently threw her straight into the ground; Hairiyu landing with a heavy thud.

For a while her head panged, her body lay unable to move. Again she'd been sent to the ground and couldn't get up...

'_Get up... Just get up...'_

Hairiyu struggled to move her limbs, body still suffering from hitting the ground so hard. That Majin had some pretty warped abilities. Regeneration, the ability to stretch his limbs, able to knock off physical attacks like they were nothing...

'_How am I supposed to beat this thing?' _She groaned to herself. Hairiyu staggered forwards, leaning over slightly as she stood up. Buu was currently facing the other way; a spear lodged through his stomach! What had she just missed and where had the spear come from?

Further behind him was an injured Dabura; Babidi seemed pretty angry yelling at his lackey. Hairiyu was stunned to see the demon king was still alive! The feeling was short-lived as Buu effortlessly yanked the spear from his stomach and tossed it to the side. Just as Hairiyu feared the small hole closed up.

Just as it had done before, Buu's ki shot up as he opposed Dabura. "Me eat you up!" He declared as the Demon King put up his defences. Buu began to hop towards Dabura watched the monster cautiously. The strange antenna on his head moved. Light bolted out from it and struck Dabura. At first Hairiyu thought it was a regular old ki attack but Dabura's body began to behave strangely, convincing her perhaps it was instead magic. His body slowly began to straighten as if forced to; his facial features changed to that of a calm, almost expressionless person. In a flash Dabura's body had turned to a life-size cookie!

Hairiyu's eyes were so wide she could have sworn they were gonna pop from their sockets! "... Regeneration... almost immune to any physical attack... stretchy body... and now he can turn people into cookies?" She spluttered. "... It's no use... At this rate I'm gonna die..."


	87. Chapter 086

**Chapter 086 – Majin vs. Majin**

Buu shovelled the gigantic Dabura-cookie into his mouth all in one go; cheeks puffed out from the sheer size. He forced the cookie to break down with his hands, munching and munching until finally with one large gulp he'd eaten it. Pleased and feeling slightly fuller, the Majin began to chuckle and wander around aimlessly chanting some sort of song to himself.

Nearby an injured and tired Hairiyu looked on in disbelief. Nothing she'd dealt against this monster had worked. She'd lost all her resolve; she'd just seen her opponent turn someone into a snack!

Suddenly Piccolo and Krillin's ki signals appeared! Confusion briefly clouded her mind until logic seeped through. _'... Of course; Buu's just killed Dabura!'_ She realised after a while. Kaioshin had said earlier in order to turn their friends back to normal they'd have to kill Dabura. At least some of her friends were now safe.

"Alright Buu, turn Kaioshin into cake, or maybe another cookie!" Babidi sniggered, leaning over the shorter, leaner fighter; his father's murderer. "Eat him up, Buu!"

Kaioshin was still unconscious. Hairiyu had to move in! Against her better judgement she jumped forwards into the fray and charged her ki, gathering as much energy as she could into one limb as she kicked Buu away from Kaioshin, following him and charging energy into her fist once more. Hairiyu knew this was a lost battle but she'd promised Gohan she'd protect Kaioshin, she'd promised she'd stay alive!

Buu jumped off the ground and was suddenly inches above Hairiyu, catching her off-guard. Two heavy, thick fists slammed into her spine and knocked her through the ground, winding her as she slammed into the rocky surface. Hairiyu choked and spat up some blood, screaming in agony as Buu suddenly jumped on her. She couldn't feel her legs; they felt numb. Her body was wrecked; it felt every bone in her body had just been crushed!

"That brat is getting on my nerves! Kill her first Buu, then turn Kaioshin into a treat and eat him!" Babidi ordered.

"Ok!" Buu grinned.

Hairiyu felt the world spin as Buu grabbed her by the ankle and tossed her into the air, no longer able to defend herself against his might. His speed was too much for her to follow now; a blow to the solar plexus knocked the wind out of her lungs and Hairiyu momentarily lost contact with her surroundings. Something grabbed her by the hair and started slugging her repeatedly in the stomach, beating her around. All she felt was pain and cold slipping down from her nose and down her jaw. Her body ached to the point where she felt numb, yet every strike reawakened her senses, every strike more and more painful that the last.

The wind brushed past her; she was falling.

A kick to the chest knocked her backwards; Hairiyu rebounded several times across the ground before scraping to a stop, one of the bounces against the ground knocking her out from her Super Saiyan 2 transformation straight down to her normal state. For a while she lay on her stomach in a heap unable to find the energy to rise once again. She stared absentminded, eyes barely open. Her transformation had gone, her energy was gone. Gohan was gone; her dad was her enemy; Goku had his hands full; Kaioshin was at Babidi and Buu's mercy, as was she.

Hairiyu felt herself slip; the world went dark. _'I'm... sorry...'_ She apologised, the world around her finally falling into a greyish, then black world of nothing, though every-so-often she'd catch glimpses of colour and sounds. She entered a bizarre world surrounded by nothing but trees, tall thick trees which towered over her. She had no idea where she was and why but knew she was far from the battle against Buu. The world around her grew louder and louder, the noise starting to grow on her nerves and she clasped her hands over her ears, head pounding with each and every sound she could hear.

Then suddenly it was gone. Hairiyu reluctantly removed her hands from her ears, spotting a figure almost hidden behind one of the trees. Curious as to who it was, she stepped forward and approached them, grabbing hold of their shoulder in a somewhat familiar fashion. Then suddenly the person wasn't there; Hairiyu found her hand to be grasping onto a notch of the tree. Disappointment hit her and she turned around once again to look at her surroundings, surprised to see the forest behind her was burning. Alarm quickly grasped hold of her as she heard some familiar screams, she could hear her mother and brother were somewhere in the direction of the fire, both their screams sending chills down her spine. Then as suddenly as the fire had come, it had gone. There were no trees left, only strange swirling colours, colours that were dark and lifeless. Where were her mother and Trunks? Were they ok? She didn't know.

Shadows moved. Her mind floated around, thoughts coming and going, growing louder and then quieter. She wasn't sure if the loud noise she was hearing was real or a dream. She felt like smoke was brushing past her face and coughed; was this another hallucination or was it real? She faded again, the feeling vanished...

The world was now growing brighter, almost too bright for her liking. Hairiyu peered through her fingers shielding her eyes, noticing another figure walking towards her. The angle was strange, she was seeing them from a ninety-degree angle as if she were laying down across the floor. Was this real? She wasn't sure. The light vanished, as did the figure leaving her in nothing but darkness. This wasn't right, this had to be a dream. Was she already dead yet? Had Buu killed her?

Something was in her mouth; it was small and tasted bad. Was the sensation real? It was one of the strongest sensations she'd had so far and it felt familiar to her. Hairiyu reluctantly chewed, unsure whether she was conscious or just dreaming. She felt herself spin slightly. Which way was she facing? Then she felt sensation come back. Her body felt energetic. She was facing up towards the sky. She was on her back; it felt like she was laying on rock. Her eyes fluttered open, the shadow leaning over her becoming clearer...

Panic and fury led to her slapping the person beside her across the face as she jumped about ten feet back, hunches up and heart pounding. Adrenaline had jumpstarted her and her anger had exploded to the surface as soon as her eyes had fallen upon him. Nearby and leaning on one arm from the force of the slap with the other hand tenderly placed upon his now sore cheek, an unfazed Vegeta glared back at her; the M on his forehead reminding her of what had happened, what he'd done.

"What do you want?" She snarled. "Stay away from me!"

Vegeta tutted and rose to his feet, "Next time I won't bother with a senzu..." He muttered ignoring her tone of voice.

Hairiyu glared furiously at him. Every part of him repulsed her; looking just brought back those feelings of betrayal and hurt. She hated him for it, she hated how he'd hurt her. She hated how he'd thrown her, Trunks, and her mother away like they were worthless vermin. What angered her right now was how he was suddenly helping her as if nothing had happened. It made no sense to her! "Why did you heal me? Did you come to fight me now that you're done? What happened to Goku?" So many questions buzzed around her head, his actions were conflicting and had been doing so ever since they'd arrived at the ship.

"Kakarrot's busy taking a nap... and I came here to fight," Vegeta turned away. "There, I healed you and answered your questions, now I suggest you beat it; you'll just get in my way!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Hairiyu yelled, fists shaking furiously irked with his answers. His actions were so bizarre and conflicted amongst themselves. He was with them originally, then against them and now he was on their side again? No, there had to be something deeper going on; perhaps it was still his selfishness wishing to fight a powerful opponent, since apparently Goku had not lasted the match. Was he still chasing after thrills as he had done before, or was it a change of heart and a slap to the head which had knocked some sense into him? Hairiyu didn't know what to think; he was to unpredictable to her now. "You wanna fight Buu? Fine, I hope he does what Goku didn't manage to do and pounds you to the ground!" She turned and took a couple of steps. She was not in the mood to be talking to him or seeing him after what he'd done. The wound was still raw and he may as well have been rubbing salt and chilli into it.

"... I know about Gohan... Buu killed him, right?"

Hairiyu stopped in her tracks, eyes closing as a long and deep breath seethed through her gritted teeth and slowly filled her lungs.

That one hurt.

"... Are you trying to piss me off?" She spat glaring at him over her shoulder before turning away, face softening a little as the memory played in her mind once again. "... Buu caught him off-guard. At least Gohan was protecting the planet and trying to stop Buu being revived unlike someone else! Yours and Goku's stupid battle revived him; you revived him with your stupid need to be an evil bas-"

"Do you ever stop talking?" Vegeta sneered growing tired of the needless chatter. "Enough, you're wasting time. Go and hide somewhere; I'll take care of Buu myself."

"... He'll kill you," Hairiyu muttered spitefully, taking to the air. She spotted a nearby mountain and landed safely on top of the tallest peak, peering over the edge back to the battleground. She hadn't noticed it before but Babidi's ship lay in ruins, dark smoke pouring from the large crater once hiding it. Nearby was Kaioshin; he was still unconscious. With luck her father could at least distract Buu from hurting Kaioshin; right now that would be the only useful thing he could do.

Hairiyu didn't understand him. He'd been so happy to hinder everyone else with his selfishness and now he wanted to fight Buu? Did he really care or was this just his Saiyan behaviour, needing to fight a strong opponent for the sheer pleasure of it? Was he still being selfish? She couldn't be sure. What did it matter? It didn't change what he'd done, it didn't change him at all in her eyes. The damage had already been done and if this was his strange way of making up for it, he had a long way to go. She would not make this easy for him.

Buu began to release steam from his body again. Vegeta began to charge up his power. Sure enough the spell Babidi had cast had greatly increased her father's ki, yet it had that tainted feel to it; the same as Spopovich and Yamu had.

The battle started.

Vegeta quickly seemed to hold an advantage – or at least all his blows connected and Buu was being slapped around like a punching bag!

'_That won't work...'_ Hairiyu realised what she was doing and shook her head with annoyance.

Buu was knocked back across the ground, body dented where Vegeta's strikes had hit him. As he had done with Hairiyu's attacks, Buu's indentations popped out and his body returned to normal. Her father seemed to be going through the same thoughts as she had. Vegeta charged up his energy and sent a bolt of ki straight through Buu's body. Buu crashed to the ground with a thud and a gaping hole in his stomach.

Hairiyu knew all too well what was about to happen.

He wasn't down for long. Buu rose to his feet, closing the hole in his stomach.

The atmosphere changed.

Buu began to charge up his ki; the ground around her shuddered; Hairiyu noticing the mountain she was on was starting to give way to the pressure. She watched Buu, unsure of what was going on...

With a terrific expulsion of air, Buu screamed. Hairiyu gasped and hurriedly put up her defences as the shockwave hit her and the mountain she stood upon. It was way too much; Hairiyu was knocked backwards clean off her feet as the mountain finally crumbled, vanishing in a bright purple light. The deafening howling of the wind knocked her senses along with the blinding light. She crashed against something solid and felt other sold things hit her. Struggling to keep her attention she crouched in a defensive position and rode it out...

The noise quietened down. The brightness faded to daylight. Hairiyu opened her eyes. There were a couple of large boulders in front of her which had been scattered and taken from their original location. With little effort she floated up into the air and landed on one of them. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw what had happened, panic quickly gripping her.

There was a large crater before her; in the middle of it floated Buu. She noticed another round thing nearby glimmering a little in the light; it looked like Babidi had unfortunately survived.

Where was her dad? Where was Kaioshin?

"... Piccolo!" Hairiyu recalled Krillin and Piccolo were supposedly somewhere nearby! She quickly found their ki and sighed in relief... then noticing there were two other ki with them. Could it be?

Hairiyu glanced over to her left, searching out Piccolo's ki. She spotted it and levitated up into the sky, keeping an eye on Buu. As she floated through the air she spotted Vegeta crouched down on the ground; it looked like he'd taken a few injuries from that explosion.

'_... What's wrong with me? Don't care about him; he doesn't care about you!'_ Hairiyu scolded herself, the sight of the warrior as injured and outmatched as he was indeed seemed pitiful but she shared little empathy deliberately. She spotted the group down below; sure enough she had sensed right.

"Big sis, down here!" Trunks' voice carried on the wind as he appeared from behind a displaced boulder. Hairiyu landed amongst the group, Trunks rushing up to her eagerly. "You're ok! You fought really well against that Buu guy!" He grinned.

Hairiyu blinked in surprise and slight embarrassment as a light blush came to her face, "You saw that?" She asked awkwardly.

"Yeah, me and Goten got here just before Buu turned that Dabura guy into a cookie and ate him!" Trunks nodded, Goten nodding alongside him. "This guy's really something else... Dad's looking a little rough. He can beat him though, right Hairiyu?"

Hairiyu frowned. Trunks didn't know what their father had done earlier today; she guessed he hadn't been at the tournament if he wasn't frantically asking why their father had killed innocent people. Perhaps she could get around this by not telling him; Trunks wouldn't understand why their father'd done what he'd done. He'd never known him to be evil, just a little reluctant to show emotion and show nothing but pride and strength. He emulated their father, she couldn't shatter that image even if her's had been broken.

"What's been going on here? Where's Goku?" Krillin asked.

"Tell us everything that's happened!" Piccolo demanded.

"I'm not sure where Goku is," Hairiyu replied answering Krillin. "Sorry..."

"Dad'll be here; he's not a coward!" Goten protested. "Big brother too!"

Hairiyu felt her heart lurch in her throat. Apparently they hadn't seen Gohan being blasted away. She didn't have the strength or the heart to tell Goten his older brother was no longer among them.

"Dad!" Trunks' cry caught everyone's attention and all eyes turned back to the fight. Vegeta was slowly approaching Buu, holding one of his arms, which was covered in blood. "Dad's not gonna lose, is he Piccolo?" Trunks asked, glancing towards the Namekian when he did not receive an answer, then to his sister. "... Piccolo? ... Big sis?"

"... Just keep watching Trunks," Hairiyu mumbled.

Buu grabbed his stomach and began to pull...

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow in disgust as Buu suddenly pulled part of his stomach away from his body, completely separating it from himself. It looked so jiggly and fatty it brought a small feeling of nausea over her just to look at it! It was even worse when Buu started to stretch it out in front of him!

The Majin quickly went on the attack. He started shooting energy balls from his mouth, all fast-paced and keeping her father on his toes. The Saiyan prince confidentially dodged them one by one, leaping up into the air-

Buu tossed the loose skin towards him. Suddenly Vegeta was caught up in a bind as the skin wrapped around him and constricted! The Saiyan fell to the ground, unable to break free.

"Dad!" Trunks gasped, leaning forwards on the small rock he was peering over.

Buu approached Vegeta waltzing with some sort of bizarre dance. The Majin's mood changed; Buu kicked the trapped warrior several metres through the air; the constricting skin not giving way in the slightest. Buu jumped up high into the sky and landed, crashing straight on top of Vegeta, pinning him to the ground further and starting to repeatedly punch him around the face.

Hairiyu watched as Buu continued to beat down her dad, continued to slowly kill him. She was angry. She was angry at her dad still but she was angry at Buu. Conflicting feelings started stirring inside of her.

"He'll be killed!" Krillin stuttered. "Where are Goku and Gohan?"

"Hey, they'll be here Krillin, just you watch!" Goten yelled.

Hairiyu stood confused, her own thoughts conflicting in her mind. Every punch made her all-the-more angry but she hated the guy receiving the beating. One part of her wanted to rush in rashly and attack Buu with everything she had; another wanted her dad to suffer after what he'd done. What was she meant to do? He'd disregarded his family and quite happily let them hurt! Was she supposed to forget it happened and care for him again? She couldn't forgive him for what he'd done! She found it so hard to swallow her anger over what had happened!

Part of her couldn't help but wonder had this been how her father had felt towards Goku all of these years? Was she as stubborn as he was in struggling to let it go?

"No Trunks! You'll only die in vain and cause Vegeta more pain!" Piccolo's yell brought her back to reality; Trunks was looking ready to charge.

Vegeta's face was becoming bloodier by the minute.

Trunks' scream echoed through the wrecked mountains as he transformed into a Super Saiyan and bolted forwards before anyone had the chance to stop him.

"TRUNKS, COME BACK!" Piccolo yelled. "STOP!"

"I'm coming too Trunks!" Goten powered up and charged – Piccolo grabbed the young boy by his wrist.

"Goten, I won't let you go down there; you'll just make things worse!" Piccolo warned.

"Let me go, Trunks needs my help!" Goten protested anxious to help; he knew Trunks couldn't do this by himself. "If I were Gohan I bet you'd let me go, wouldn't you?"

The last jab caught Piccolo off-guard; Goten broke free of Piccolo's weakened grasp and chased after his friend.

Hairiyu watched nervously as both boys dashed past Babidi; Trunks decking Buu in the back of the head and sending him shooting through several mountains in the distance.

"... Aren't you going too?"

Hairiyu turned at Krillin's question.

"... No. Trunks and Goten are ok..." Hairiyu shook her head, quickly glancing over as Piccolo took off.

"Hairiyu, that's your dad down there," Krillin pointed taken aback with her answer. "... What's wrong? Normally you're the first to rush in when he's in trouble!"

"... Yeah," Hairiyu frowned.

"Then what's holding you back? Go," Krillin looked at her searching for something more, Hairiyu had the feeling the short warrior she'd come to see as an uncle could tell she was hiding something. He knew there was more to this than met the eye. "... Something happened while Piccolo and I were stone. I can feel it; I can't sense Goku and Gohan anywhere and you're acting strange!"

Hairiyu sighed and closed her eyes momentarily. "... If we survive this, I'll tell you."

With that she took off, passing Piccolo and Babidi without as much of a glance. Her attention was placed elsewhere and she knew Piccolo would take care of the little insect. She landed beside the two children who were currently freeing Vegeta from the coils of Buu's skin. She joined her brother and Goten and the trio freed him at last, Goten dumping the heavy lump of fat to the side.

"Dad? ... Come on dad, wake up!" Trunks began to nudge Vegeta; he wasn't responding. "Please wake up! Dad! Come on! Wake up!"

Hairiyu felt heartbroken watching her brother plead like this. She could sense their father's ki had dropped significantly since the start of the battle. Even looking at him was a dead giveaway; he was beaten. Buu had won.

"Why didn't you help?"

Hairiyu almost jumped at her brother's question; the boy had fury in his eyes and confusion on his face. "Why didn't you jump in to help dad?" Trunks demanded furiously, "Why did I have to do it? You're stronger than I am; you can do far more than I can!"

Hairiyu didn't answer, just looked away.

"...Is he alive?" Goten asked concerned.

"Of course he is!" Trunks bellowed, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. "My dad's the toughest guy in the whole world!"

"Yeah but... but he got hurt real bad." Goten frowned.

"Goten, clean out your ears and listen, ok? My mum told me that my dad used to be the prince of every single Saiyan!" Trunks snarled glancing down at his father.

"Wha? He's a prince?" Goten spluttered with amazement.

"That's right, he's a prince, Goten – a prince!" Trunks responded feverishly.

Hairiyu noticed her father's cheek twitch, a small twinge of hope bursting through and relieving her stomach of tension.

"There's no way a prince can lose to a stupid monster!"


	88. Chapter 087

**Chapter 087 – Farewell Proud Prince**

An audible noise came from Vegeta's throat, alerting the two boys and Hairiyu. The severely beaten warrior slowly turned his head, one eye opening an inch as he became aware of his surroundings.

"That's it dad!" Trunks encouraged.

"He's awake!" Goten smiled.

Hairiyu stood behind the two children torn; watching as her father slowly sat himself up and hid his face behind his hand as his son supported him, noticeably hiding the M mark upon his forehead. Either Trunks had not noticed it before or he hadn't dared to ask about it, Hairiyu wasn't sure which was right. Quickly Trunks was pushed away, Vegeta looking around feverishly, "Where's Majin Buu?" He demanded.

"Trunks kicked him over there," Goten answered, stepping back as Vegeta rose to his full height.

The feel of a tiny ki enveloped with a strange energy caught Hairiyu's attention. She turned to see Piccolo chop Babidi in half across his abdomen; the two floating in the air behind them. Babidi's body vanished from view as he fell below the surface of the ground and into the large crater Buu'd created moments ago.

'_Trust Piccolo_,_'_ she mused to herself. She'd almost forgotten about that annoying warlord and how he'd been the cause of all this. He'd gotten what he'd deserved, though she wished she'd been the one to have killed him after all he'd done.

"... Trunks, Hairiyu... You need to take good care of your mother."

Her head whirled around sharp back to her dad. Trunks had done the same.

"Take care of mama? You can take care of her too, can't you dad? Why would you say that?" Trunks asked curiously, taken aback by his odd request. "Why do you want us to take care of mama; are you going somewhere?"

Hairiyu frowned uncertain and looked at her father suspiciously. "What are you planning to do?" She grumbled.

"...I want you three to leave and get as far away from here," Vegeta answered. "As for Buu, I'll fight him alone."

"Don't do that!" Goten protested.

"Goten's right!" Trunks clenched his fists. "We'll fight with you! You don't wanna get killed do you? You've got to let us help you dad! Goten, are you in?"

"Yeah!" Goten nodded eagerly, his smile identical to that of his fathers. He reminded Hairiyu a little of Gohan in his younger days, willing to help whenever needed even if he doubted his own capabilities. That trait of never willing to back down seemed to run strongly in the two brothers, as it did with their parents.

"See, we're with you! All three of us are, right Hairiyu?" Trunks beamed towards his sister who avoided eye contact with the boy.

"Stop it," Vegeta ordered, "It's too dangerous for you. It doesn't matter how many of us there are; we can't beat Buu just through fighting."

"No, that's not true!" Goten smiled. "We're the best!"

"We'll gang up on him, he won't know what hit him!" Trunks added.

"We're tough; we could even beat that big blob without your help, right Trunks? We might do better than you did!"

Realising what had just been said both boys suddenly panicked and covered their mouths fearful of Vegeta's reaction. No one could get away with such a comment, especially when it came to Vegeta's pride and confidence in his strength. Hairiyu gulped and waited nervously for her father to bellow at the boys for accusing him of being weak.

It never came.

"... Trunks, I never held you once, even when you were a baby..."

Hairiyu blinked in surprise as did her brother; neither sibling had expected such a thing to even be brought up by their father of all people! Hairiyu couldn't figure it out: what was with his behaviour today? What was going on in that mind of his? She felt despite knowing him for over a decade now, she'd never known so little about him. The events of the past day were all so conflicting, so confusing to her. She didn't know what to make of anything anymore. Was it just because Trunks was now present or was there a different reason for his sudden concern for them. Hairiyu wasn't going to let herself be fooled, not again.

"... Let me give you a hug now..." Vegeta edged over to his confused son and wrapped a hand around his head, pulling him closer much to Trunks' protests.

"Dad? Aww this is embarrassing! Dad, come on! Cut it out!"

Hairiyu watched amazed and shocked. Never in a million years had she thought this would happen. For years, ever since she was a little child, she'd always wanted a hug from him. It didn't matter how evil he was, how much of a cold-hearted murderer he was, in the end he was still her father. She'd always tried to see past the tough and cold persona, to try and imagine him in a more humane way no matter how much she felt it was an impossible possibility. She'd wanted a normal family; she'd seen how affectionate Goku'd been around Gohan and had wanted the same. She'd always known in reality it would never happen but to hold onto the thought had kept her thinking that maybe someday, he'd shown the same affection to her. To see it given to her brother almost brought tears to her eyes. Trunks had never known the evil his father was capable of. All he knew was the man after the fight with Cell who'd stuck around with his forming family and trained his children. He had shown affection in his own way, mainly through spending time with them; nothing like this. Nothing ever came as close as this did.

Something was very wrong. No matter how many reasons she tried to think of to explain his sudden and dramatic change in behaviour, to hug his own son... Hairiyu couldn't rid herself of the lurching feeling in her chest. Something was making him act this way.

"You've made me proud. Take care, Trunks," Vegeta smiled softly at his son.

With one clean chop to the head, Trunks was knocked to the floor unconscious, falling with a thud to the floor.

"What did you do to him? Why'd you do that?" Goten demanded baffled. "Why did you do that to Trunks? You might have killed him!"

'_... Poor kid...'_ Hairiyu frowned gulping down the heavy lump in her throat. _'I get it now...'_

Goten had grabbed hold of Vegeta, demanding to know why he'd knocked Trunks out. "Why'd you do it? Tell me! Why did you do that to Trunks? You're his dad; dads aren't supposed to do bad things to their sons! Why did you hit him, why did you hurt him like that? Why?"

Vegeta crouched down to his level and punched Goten in the stomach. The boy buckled onto his knees clasping hold of his gut before falling on his face; he too was knocked out.

Hairiyu watched quietly as Piccolo landed beside them.

For a moment no one spoke.

Hairiyu glanced around as the subtle but annoying sound of Buu began to draw closer. Buu was alive and well and making his way towards them. A wave of nerves came over her; her dad was badly beaten and she knew neither she nor Piccolo stood a chance fighting him. What's more, Goten and Trunks were unconscious and right with them. They had to get the two boys to safety, maybe they could pass them onto Krillin and he could get them clear from the area.

"Who hit Buu?" The Majin demanded, standing quite a ways away from the others but close enough for them to hear him.

"... Take the two boys and get as far away from here," Vegeta ordered striding towards Buu, "I'm counting on you both."

"Understood..." Piccolo nodded, walking towards both boys and picking them up under his arms.

"... What are you gonna do by yourself?" Hairiyu asked nervously. "You know you can't beat him." She found it difficult to stay angry with him after he'd just hugged his own son; his actions had thrown her and now all she wanted to know was why. Was he going to do what she thought he was about to do?

Vegeta did not answer, much to his daughter's annoyance.

"He plans to die," Piccolo muttered, "... don't you?"

It took a while for Vegeta to answer, and when he did it was with a question:

"There is one thing I'd like to know: will I see Kakarrot in the otherworld?"

Piccolo hesitated a little before responding, "... This isn't a time to be mincing words so I'll be blunt..."

Hairiyu gulped and looked nervously to her former mentor. She couldn't believe this conversation was happening. None of this could be real!

"... No. You've caused too much pain. When you die you will lose your body and your soul will be banished to a place far different from where Goku is. There it'll be reincarnated into a new form but only after it's cleansed of its memories..."

'_Turned into a new... form?'_ Hairiyu stepped forwards. "Wait... So we'll never see him again? Not even if we manage to revive him with the Dragonballs?" She wasn't fully aware of which Dragonballs Vegeta had been revived with after both of their deaths on Namek. Indeed it had been Earth's Dragonballs, meaning Vegeta could not be wished back again – or at least not with their Dragonballs. A job like that would require the Namekian Dragonballs, not that the Earthlings really knew where New Namek was in the universe.

"... I see... pity..." Vegeta muttered, back turned to the two fighters. "... That will be all, get out of here – and hurry!"

"W-Wait a minute!" Hairiyu cried desperate to get some answers. She couldn't leave things as they were, they were far too messed up for her liking. "Talk to me! What the hell are you doing? What the hell are you even thinking? You turn your back on us and now you're fighting with us again? Whose side are you on? Who are you?" Her fists shook violently at her sides, angry her father didn't even turn around to look at her. Here he had been all day acting selfish and disregarding everyone's safety over his own desires. He'd returned to his evil self and caused the resurrection of Majin Buu. He'd cast his family aside which had left a very sore and bitter scarring inside Hairiyu. Now here he was doing something selfless?

Vegeta turned around and looked at his daughter.

For the first time he seemed genuinely remorseful.

"... You've fought Buu and know as well as I do that nothing works... but there is one thing that could work. If I fail, you have to protect your mother and brother. You're the only one left who may beat Buu...

"I know I've never been the father Kakarrot has been to his sons. I've never been able to show affection or tell you how proud I am of you... I'm sorry."

The words hit her slowly and took even longer to sink in. Hairiyu stared at the man before her unable to comprehend what had just happened. Had he apologised for his lack of affection? Why? Why now? Why even apologise for it? It wasn't the man he was; Hairiyu'd accepted that long ago. Yet here he was giving out hugs and apologies.

What did she do with this information?

"We're running out of time, let's go Hairiyu!" Piccolo ordered, taking to the skies and heading back to Krillin.

"He's right, go." Vegeta agreed.

Hairiyu looked at her father for a moment and crossed her brow. "... All the things that have happened today... I lost my best friend and lost my father to his own selfish desires... and I'm gonna lose him now. My human side will never forgive you for what you've done and for how much you hurt me... but my Saiyan side respects you for what you're about to do."

Her feet slowly left the ground for the briefest of moments before suddenly bolting forwards into the sky, following her fleeing mentor. Hairiyu didn't look back. She knew no matter what she couldn't look back. She and Piccolo were joined by Krillin as they sped through the skies fleeing the area.

"What's Vegeta up to, Piccolo?" Krillin asked over the noise of the rushing wind. "He's crazy, he'll be killed!"

"For the first time Vegeta's fighting for something other than himself..." Piccolo answered, "... sacrificing his own life!"

The words were no easier for her to hear, even if she'd already known they were true. Behind them the sky began to darken, light reaching places ahead of them and tainting them yellow. Hairiyu painfully kept tabs on her father's energy as it continued to rise higher and higher. Finally the moment came; his ki fluctuated steadily before it suddenly exploded, uncontrollable and deadly.

The shockwave pushed her head over heels forcing her to turn around albeit upside down. The sheer size of the gigantically bright dome of energy left her speechless though she had enough sense left to correct her orientation, rotating to an upright position. Her eyes stayed clamped to the large dome of ki. Her father's ki had been consumed inside the dome, undistinguishable from the explosion. The deafening roar almost blocked out Krillin as he screamed out Vegeta's name.

Hairiyu watched the brilliant attack silently until finally it died off. Her dad's life force had died along with the attack.

The clouds had been distorted, pushed away by the shock to the atmosphere. The wind was still quite strong despite calming since the explosion. For a while none of the three spoke, all left to their own thoughts. Hairiyu herself did not know what to think. She'd just witnessed her father's death, his own self destruction and yet the sight did not make her cry. She didn't feel anything, nothing but numbness inside. She knew how she was supposed to react; she was meant to feel horrifically sad and probably bawl her eyes out yet she couldn't bring herself to do this. There were no tears, no feelings of sorrow. Just pure numbness with an essence of shock. No, all she needed now was time, time for the news to sink in. Then she knew she'd react in the way people would assume she would.

"... Krillin, take Hairiyu and the two boys' home," Piccolo spoke breaking the silence. "I must see the aftermath."

"S-Sure," Krillin nodded grimly, taking Goten and Trunks under his arms from the Namekian.

"It would be worse not to say so tell their families," Piccolo added. "I don't know about Goku but Gohan was killed by Buu. I heard Vegeta say it."

With that Piccolo shot off into the distance, headed back towards the battleground.

Hairiyu floated quietly, her thoughts kept to a minimum. Her body felt quiet and limp, her face felt heavy as if she were about to cry, only she knew she wasn't going to cry as there were no tears. A little feeling had seeped in quicker than she'd anticipated. The spot where her father's ki had once been continued to plague her mind; empty, dark and cold. It still hadn't hit her what he'd done.

"... Hey, come on." Krillin ushered softly.

Hairiyu looked up glumly and nodded silently, flying forwards at a pleasant pace.

"... I'm sorry Hairiyu, I know it's tough losing someone you care about," Krillin apologised, "... I guess you're not in that great a frame of mind right now. You know you can come and talk to me if you need to."

Hairiyu didn't respond, eyes fixated on her horizon ahead.

"... I didn't realise we'd lost Gohan too..." Krillin added quietly to himself.

The flight was quiet from there on, Krillin giving up on trying to start a conversation. Hairiyu's brain felt scattered and distorted, yet calm and empty. So many things were registering but nothing was making itself known...

"... Buu blasted him up into the sky..."

Krillin almost missed it! He'd actually gotten a response from her, "Wha?"

"Buu..." Hairiyu mumbled, "... Gohan couldn't react in time... and Buu blasted him up to space. It exploded up in the sky. I didn't see it but I can't sense his ki..."

"Oh... right," Krillin frowned. "... He really is a monster... At least your dad's shut him down for good. We can gather the Dragonballs and wish them both back to life."

Hairiyu sighed disheartened and looked down at the ground. "... No we can't... Dad can't..."

She was cut short as a noticeable ki approached them from behind. The duo was suddenly joined by a flustered Piccolo who seemed rather desperate to catch up to them. The look on his face concerned both fighters.

"Hurry, we have to get the boys to a safer location!" Piccolo ordered.

"Why? What's wrong?" Krillin asked nervously.

"Buu survived! Vegeta failed; he didn't destroy Buu!" Piccolo responded. "I saw him start to regenerate! Even under the sheer power and force Vegeta's attack must have dealt on him..."

Hairiyu stared in horror. "... What?" She asked almost breathlessly.

"You mean Vegeta died for nothing?" Krillin asked mortified.

"It's too dangerous to stay down here! I'm taking the boys to the lookout!" Piccolo decided, taking the boys back from Krillin. "Right now, they – and Hairiyu – are the world's only hope – and a slim one at that!"

The lookout was as peaceful and tranquil as ever as it floated miles above the Earth. As soon as the trio arrived with the two boys in tow they were greeted by Dende and Mr Popo.

"We know all of what's happened!" Dende cried. "This sounds awful!"

"Mr Popo, take the boys inside so they can rest," Piccolo handed the boys over to the lookout assistant who nodded and wandered towards the large palace behind them.

"Hey Dende, any idea if Goku's still around?" Krillin asked.

"I'm sorry, I've been trying to find out but I don't know," Dende shook his head regretfully.

"Aww... I was hoping you wouldn't say that..." Krillin frowned.

"I'm really sorry to hear about Gohan and about Vegeta," Dende apologised. "It must be hard for you guys..."

Hairiyu frowned and looked down at the tiles below her feet. "... I could have saved them both if I wasn't weak." She muttered gloomily.

"Hey, don't say that," Krillin butted in, "You're a heck of a lot stronger than I am. I'm sure you did all you could Hairiyu."

"Since we're waiting for the boys to wake up, we need to make a plan on how to tackle Buu," Piccolo instructed, "however... First of all we need to be brought up to speed on what's already happened! Hairiyu, you're the only one who has been around. Tell us what's happened since Dabura turned Krillin and I to stone."

"Right..."

Hairiyu started to tell the others about the raid on Babidi's spaceship, how on every level there'd been a warrior everyone had to fight and how Gohan had fought Dabura. She told them how her father had been taken over by Babidi's magic – which had shocked both Piccolo and Krillin – and how he'd turned on them to fight Goku, ultimately leading to the release of Majin Buu. She told them how she, Gohan, Kaioshin – and even Dabura – had tried to fight Buu but none had prevailed. Then Vegeta had appeared again to fight Buu.

After she'd filled the others in, Hairiyu went to grab herself a glass of water. Really she'd just wanted a little time to herself, to gather her thoughts and compose herself. She'd wandered into the small makeshift kitchen and grabbed herself a glass from the side, making her way over to the sink and starting to run the tap. She watched silently as the water filled the glass.

A tear fell down her cheek. She felt awful, she couldn't keep it in anymore. It had been a struggle to keep herself composed when they'd arrived to the lookout, that'd been the point Hairiyu'd fully taken in all the events for today. Her breath hitched loudly at the back of her throat as she dropped down the side of the sink, breathing sharp but deep as she hiccupped, more cool tears running down her warm face. It was too much to believe.

She'd lost her best friend and her father. Her father had hurt her betraying them and turning to Babidi's side.

Buu had killed him and Gohan.

She hated feeling weak. If only she'd been stronger. If only she'd spent more of the past seven years training like her dad had told her to! If only she hadn't been foolish enough to let Gohan fight Dabura; things may have turned out differently! She knew there was nothing they could do about it now, nothing could bring back her father and nothing could bring Gohan back, save the Dragonballs. That wasn't the point; the fact he'd even died in the first place was unforgivable. She'd known full well that Gohan had weakened in his past seven years due to lack of training; she should have been the one on the other end of that blast!

Hairiyu stayed in the small room crying to herself for quite some time. When she finally emerged – still minus a drink – she found the others walking outside in conversation. Hurriedly she wiped her eyes and caught up, avoiding eye contact with any of them and trying to hide her face. She didn't want them to know she'd been crying though she was sure they were all probably aware of it. With luck they'd mind their own business and not ask her about it!

"When do you think the kids will wake up?" Krillin was asking as she approached.

"In an hour or so," Piccolo responded.

"I can't believe Gohan and Vegeta are both dead... The kids will take it hard. We don't even know what happened to Goku..." Krillin stopped and turned to Dende. "Hey Dende, would it be alright if I brought my family up here?"

"Isn't it unfair to want to save ourselves?" Dende asked turning to Piccolo. "What do you think?"

"You're god; you decide." Piccolo responded.

Dende smiled, "... Very well then; the Earth wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you guys."

Krillin grinned with relief and appreciation at the guardian, "Thanks, I'll bring them right over!" He turned and was about to leave the lookout when suddenly a powerful and familiar Ki appeared. They were here, right on the lookout!

"... Is that?" Hairiyu started, hurriedly breaking into a run alongside Krillin, rushing around to the side of the palace. Eyes settled on the battle-ravaged but seemingly healthy Saiyan who greeted them with a smile.

"Hey!" Goku stood before them looking badly beaten and rather worse for wear. Apparently the battle between he and Vegeta had been a pretty intense fight at that, though Hairiyu could easily testify to that due to how quickly Buu had been released.

"Goku!" Krillin cried happily rushing up to the taller Saiyan, "You're alive! I mean... you know what I mean!"


	89. Chapter 088

**Chapter 088 – The Wanted List**

Upon the lookout, Krillin, Piccolo, Hairiyu and Dende were all gathered around Goku, who'd finally appeared from his seemingly terrific battle against Vegeta. The Saiyan seemed in good spirits much to their relief though whether or not he was up to speed with the occurrences that had gone on after he'd been defeated was unknown.

"What happened to you?" Krillin gawked. "You've been hurt!"

"Dad really beat you down," Hairiyu frowned feeling a little guilt on her father's part.

"I'll have you fixed up in no time Goku," Dende rushed forwards and began to heal the warrior.

After Dende had tended to his injuries, Goku was then brought up to speed with all that had happened, the news brought to him mostly from Hairiyu as no one else really could account for all that had gone on. She struggled a little when talking about the deaths of Gohan and her father, naturally it wasn't an easy thing for her to talk about but she did so. The news had come as a shock to the seasoned warrior.

"... So Gohan and Kaioshin... and even Vegeta...?" Goku asked slowly. He seemed genuinely shocked and disheartened.

"It's just as Kaioshin feared," Piccolo explained, "Buu defies all imagination. At this rate, every living being on this planet will be wiped out; no one in this galaxy is safe."

"At least you're here now Goku," Krillin smiled hopeful, "You're the only one who can beat him! You have one full day out of Heaven right? You still have time!"

"Krillin..." Goku butted in, "... I'm sorry. I can't. Vegeta was just as strong as I am and he put everything he had into beating Buu but it didn't even faze him! So what chance do I have?"

The news was a shock to all. None had expected such words to come from the Saiyan's mouth; this Saiyan was the man who everyone could rely on. He'd always come to Earth's rescue and rose to the challenge, never giving up, never letting the bad guys win. To hear him throw in the towel when the Earth was in a crisis was chilling and very disheartening.

"... Hearing that come from you really scares me," Hairiyu mumbled. "You've always been the one who could do it in the end."

"That's not true," Goku smiled sadly, "Gohan beat Cell, not me."

Hairiyu frowned. "... Now he's not here..." She sighed quietly. The memory replayed in her mind; Gohan's helplessness against the blast reminding her of her own guilt and the blame she placed on herself for his death.

"If only Gohan and Vegeta were still alive!" Goku grumbled, "We might have had a chance!"

"It wouldn't make the slightest difference how many of us we have," Piccolo butted in.

"No. I mean we could have fused." Goku responded.

"Fused?" Krillin repeated intrigued.

"Oh!" Dende gasped. "Fusion! The speciality of the Metamors'!"

"The who?" Hairiyu asked raising a confused eyebrow and cocking her head to the side slightly.

"You know them?" Goku perked up. "I met a couple of them in the afterlife and they taught me the fusion technique. You can only do it with someone of a similar size and power but when they fuse they become a warrior way stronger than the originals! Every one of them was a wimp by themselves but when they fused they were unbeatable!"

"Then... could you have fused with Gohan or Vegeta and fought Buu as one?" Piccolo asked trying to grasp the concept.

"I'm not sure," Goku shrugged his shoulders. "I've never tried it myself; there's nobody in the afterlife at my level and it took me a while to learn the technique. I guess in the end it doesn't really matter..."

"It does sound pretty useful too..." Hairiyu frowned. "... I take it as well as being the same size and power, the fusees' would also have to be the same gender too... Otherwise that would be weird! How would that even work? What would you even be anymore?"

"Wait Goku, maybe there's still a chance!" Krillin gasped excitedly. "You're going back to the afterlife soon, right? Well when you get there I'm sure Gohan and Vegeta will be there too! You can fuse with them there!"

"It won't work!" Piccolo shook his head. "Even if he fuses with either one of them, Goku can't return to the living world ever again. Also I fear that Vegeta will be in a different place to Goku."

"... So it's hopeless then..." Krillin grimaced disheartened. There they'd been given a possible solution to their problem of facing off against Buu – an opponent none of them could beat – and already it had been thrown to the wayside; yet another suggestion that would not be possible to execute.

Hairiyu looked down to the floor and tried to think of another answer. There had to be something they could do. Something had to be done to beat Buu; they couldn't just stand here and wait for Buu to kill everyone and destroy the Earth! As it was she was certain he would now be down there below them, killing innocent Earthlings. It had been the fault of her and her friends (she still blamed most of it on her father) that Buu was around and it would be wrong of them to waste time doing nothing when innocent people were paying for their actions.

"... What about Goten and Trunks?"

The majority of the group all looked up from their respective spots and over to Mr Popo.

"They're the same size and have similar power." The assistant suggested, "Can they fuse?"

Everyone stared in silence. The realisation all hit them.

"... Mr Popo you're a genius!" Goku grinned with anticipation leaping to his feet. "I'll coach the boys until I run out of time but the time I have left won't be enough. Piccolo, could I ask you to sit in and pick up where I leave off and continue to teach the boys?"

"Of course," Piccolo nodded.

"Finally there's hope!" Krillin cheered. "Those two will do it for sure!"

"Hold on a minute," Piccolo interrupted, "It might take some time before Trunks and Goten learn the fusion technique. In the mean time millions of innocent people will probably be killed by Buu. Humanity may be wiped out, the planet may be destroyed! This is a risky gamble we have to take!"

"True but as long as you and the Dragonballs are safe, it can all come back," Goku nodded.

"Great, I'm gonna quickly go and grab my family!" Krillin rushed over towards the edge of the lookout once again.

Hairiyu pondered the notion to herself, pleased that there did seem to be a glimmer of hope that had derived from this fusion technique after all. If the boys were gonna be taught this fusion dance by Goku and Piccolo, what was she going to do? She didn't want to sit here and do nothing.

The sky suddenly darkened, startling everyone on the lookout. The sudden change in the sky put them on edge.

"Why'd it get dark all of a sudden?" Goku queried nervously.

"... It's... It's Shenron!" Piccolo realised.

"Someone's called forth the Dragon? Why?" Goku asked baffled, uncertain of whom it could be.

"... It's gotta be mama!" Hairiyu gasped alarmed. "She was at the tournament when dad killed all those people!"

"She's wishing them back to life!" Goku grasped onto the same thought.

"This is bad!" Dende cried. "If she uses all the wishes now then the Dragonballs will be turned to stone for a year! I'm sure after the wishes have been made Buu will end up killing more innocent people who won't be able to be wished back to life!"

"Alright, I'll go stop her!" Goku put his fingers to his forehead and began to concentrate, looking a little worried after a while. "... Everything's so muddled up down on Earth and Bulma's ki is hard to find..." It took a couple more moments before a smile appeared as the Saiyan vanished.

"I can't believe Bulma managed to find all seven balls so fast..." Krillin mumbled as he walked back over to the group.

"Mama already had some of the Dragonballs at home," Hairiyu explained. "I think she had at least four of them already found. She was gonna try and collect all seven during her breaks from work but stopped after a while."

"_Dende! They've already made a wish!"_ Goku's voice echoed through the air telepathically. Although none of them questioned it out loud, Hairiyu couldn't help but wonder since when had Goku been telepathic?

"Tell Shenron you don't need any more," Dende instructed. "You'll only have to wait four months until the Dragonballs can be used again!"

"_Right. Since everyone's here, tell Krillin I'll bring them all there!"_

"Heard him," Krillin chuckled before anyone could attempt to wryly relay the message!

Quickly the sky turned back to normal. A few moments later, Goku returned along with the remainder of the gang.

Hairiyu joined her mother and Videl and greeted them both; both women seemed a little surprised to see her. Videl in particular was showing a great interest in observing the strange floating palace she now stood in! Hairiyu felt a little bad for her; the poor girl had been forced to absorb so much information that Hairiyu was sure conflicted with every one of her logical beliefs! "So how'd everything go at the tournament?" She asked casually.

"Never mind the tournament!" Bulma snapped. "Tell me what's going on! Why did your father kill all those people? How did you guys all suddenly appear then disappear? What's been happening?"

"Um... Hey, where are grandma and nana?" Hairiyu hurriedly asked wanting to avoid her mother's questions. The answers would not be easy to give and right now she wasn't sure she could handle being strong for her mother's sake. She wasn't entirely sure she was the best person to be answering them anyway.

"Good question, are they still on Earth?" Krillin asked.

"They said they couldn't leave their precious pets!" Bulma folded her arms. "They told me to bring them back to life if anything happens!"

"That's crazy!" Krillin snorted. "Man, if I knew where Tenshinhan was I'd tell him and Chaozu to get up here!"

"Hey, where are Gohan and Goten?" Chichi asked noticing the boys weren't present amongst them.

"Yeah, and Trunks and Vegeta?" Bulma added.

Hairiyu glanced down, trying not to give any indication off that something bad had happened. She didn't want to be the one to explain it to them, it was still a sore wound for her. She couldn't face telling the two mothers and wives that one of them's son and her mother's 'husband' were no longer in the land of the living, or the circumstances the Earth was now in. She joined the reluctant others who were in the know, leaving the rest of the group answerless and growing increasingly worried for the whereabouts of their loved ones. The pressure was immense, Hairiyu felt as if she were being crushed by some powerful force, squeezing her lungs and stopping her from breathing comfortably.

"... We'd have had to have told them at some point..." Goku spoke out releasing the others from their tension. "... Goten and Trunks are going to be alright... Gohan and Vegeta are dead. Buu killed them."

No one seemed to know what to say.

Hairiyu stayed silent, clinging desperately to her own thoughts. She noticed Chichi fall in the corner of her eye, caught by her father who called out her name in distress. _'Poor Chichi...'_ Hairiyu frowned miserably; the poor mother had always been highly protective of her eldest son, mellowing out with her youngest. To lose him was surely going to be one of the most painful events of her life, equivalent to the two times she'd already become widowed. Gohan was her studious baby; the boy who was destined to grow up and to help others... and he'd died doing just that. Chichi would never quite understand the need Gohan had to save others but she'd always accepted it.

As Goku rushed over to his unconscious wife, Hairiyu could hear her mother's sobs.

"... Vegeta... is dead?" She mumbled quietly with disbelief, voice almost choked off with the sheer emotion swirling inside her.

Hairiyu flinched as her mother screamed out, tossing her face up to the sky. To her relief Yamcha went to comfort her, trying to calm her mother down as best he could with a touch to the shoulder and a soft tone. After a moment Hairiyu turned on the spot, no longer able to accept not doing anything to comfort her mother and wrapped her arms around her briefly before walking away. She had to get away and be alone somewhere for a while. Hearing her mother's sobs made her feel like the smallest person on the planet; she couldn't listen to it and not be disturbed in some way. It was always the last sound she wanted to hear, the last sight she wanted to see (or one of them.) Her mother's tears to her meant she'd failed.

The news of Gohan and Vegeta's deaths had all been hard for the group to hear. Everyone had made their ways to different parts of the palace; some of the warriors outside keeping an eye on Earth, whilst others were inside mourning their losses.

Hairiyu sat around the back of the palace slumped against the exterior wall. She sat alone as she wanted, thinking over what had happened in the last four hours. Gohan was dead. Vegeta was dead. Kaioshin was dead. Goku was still with them but had little time left before he had to return to the dead; not even he felt he could beat Buu. They were in a right pickle. Piccolo wouldn't be strong enough to take down Buu. Krillin wouldn't stand a chance. It left her, Goten and Trunks as the only hopes for the planet. She knew right now she couldn't beat Buu, that had been made painfully clear to her earlier on today. That left Goten and Trunks and this fusion dance.

Was it right for them all to be relying on the boys? Trunks was eight years old; Goten was seven. Was it really right to put all that pressure on them? They were just little kids, naive and unaccustomed to life-and-death battle. To them fighting had just been a way to bond with their families and to compete with one another, never had it been about do or die.

'_I won't leave it all up to them,'_ Hairiyu told herself. _'I've gotta get stronger too!'_

"... Hey, mind if I sit with you for a minute?"

Hairiyu turned, surprised to see Goku standing before her!

"...Sure." She nodded uncertain of what to expect.

The seasoned fighter perched himself against the wall as he sat down. "Sorry about this but I've gotta ask," Goku apologised. "... Piccolo told me you fought with Buu before Vegeta did. Since you're the only one still alive who fought him, you're the only one I can ask. Tell me all about the fight you had, what kind of powers are we dealing with."

The talk went well. It had been useful and Goku had gone away with more of an idea on how Buu fought. As she feared, Goku had admitted defeat against Buu. The discussion had its uses but not for Hairiyu. It was like pouring salt on a wound. She wandered into the building to get out of the sun for a little while, maybe find somewhere to rest up. It had been a long, draining day and it was starting to take its toll on her...

"_Can you hear me, Earthlings?"_

Hairiyu gasped, turning on her heels and speeding down the corridors towards the entrance to the palace, Babidi's voice still talking in her mind. Confusion struck her; hadn't Piccolo gotten rid of that little worm earlier on? If so then why could she hear him?

"_I am the great wizard Babidi! Don't bother looking for me; I'm speaking directly into your minds through my magic! Forgive this intrusion into your peaceful lives but I had a terrible day, thanks to these four brats!"_

"Goku!" Hairiyu yelled as she burst outside; the fighters outside giving a quick nod. So they could hear this too.

"_Close your eyes and I'll send you a vision of what these four brats look like!"_

Hairiyu did as instructed. To her horror a picture of her, Piccolo, Trunks, and Goten emerged.

"_See them? These are the four I want! Come out! You know who you are!"_

Hairiyu felt her fists tightening at her sides. "... That bastard!" How had he lived? What had gone on after her father's self-destruction and why did this little demon have to survive?

"_Allow me to introduce myself! The person you see now is me!" _An image of Babidi appeared, quickly replaced by Buu. _"This is Majin Buu, my even more fearsome servant! No one can defeat the great Buu – no one!_

The images turned to a city; Hairiyu didn't recognise it but she couldn't shake off the horrible feeling wrenching inside her.

"_Watch this city closely. If those fools don't show themselves immediately..."_

"No, don't!" She gasped.

"_Wizards hate to be messy... so we'll kill them neatly! Do it Buu!"_

Buu raised his arms out. Far off screams and cries could be heard as suddenly the population of the city began to appear, floating higher and higher into the sky!

"That monster! What's he doing?" Goku snarled.

"Buu don't!" Hairiyu yelled.

Buu's head tentacle extended and a strange light bolted forwards, striking the helpless floating people. Suddenly the screams stopped as every person was turned into candy! Those upon the lookout watched in horror as Buu breathed in, sucking the sweets into his mouth until his cheeks puffed out, crunching on what used to be people.

"_Do you begin to understand?"_ Babidi sneered. _"It's still so messy leaving an empty city around with no people in it! I suppose we'll have to clean this up ourselves! Buu! Don't scrub too hard or you might blow the planet away!"_

Buu stepped forward and inhaled deeply. He expelled his gathered breath, turning left and right as he completely demolished the city before them, reducing it to a cloud of dust and rubble.

"_Oh, it looks like we may have made more of a mess!"_ Babidi sniggered. _"I'll show you them again..."_ Again images of Piccolo, her, Trunks, and Goten appeared. _"Tell me where they are, if you don't want to be turned into candy and eaten! We'll finish killing everyone on Earth in five days so you'd better speak up!"_

Hairiyu could feel her whole body shaking, trembling with anger and hatred towards Babidi and Buu.

"_Oh, I almost forgot to tell you how to contact me! Just speak out to me in your mind; I'll pick it up! I'll gladly accept calls from those four fools!"_

"... I can't take this!" Hairiyu snarled livid. "I've gotta tell him to stop!"

"No!" Goku barked hurriedly. "Stay quiet and stay safe!"

"There are people being killed!" Hairiyu bellowed back. "I'm not gonna let them kill anyone else!"

"Stay here and hold your ground! You know as well as I do if you go down there you'll be killed!" Goku ordered harshly. "If we lose you we only have Goten and Trunks left; do you want to get yourself killed and then leave it all up to them?"

Hairiyu growled under her breath and turned away. "... No..."

"Then stay here and grow stronger before you go off to fight," Goku's voice was suddenly a lot softer as he calmed down.

"_Oh, it seems we have news already!"_ Babidi's voice butted in.

Another voice began to speak, one which Hairiyu didn't recognise. _"I was one of the staff at the Tenkaichi Budokai. We definitely know three of them registered, we're not sure on the fourth! The ones we know of are Ma Jr, Trunks, and Son Goten."_

Silently Hairiyu thanked herself for remembering to wear a costume and changing her name. Thankfully she hadn't been recognised; her disguise had worked.

"_I don't care what their names are!"_ Babidi spat._ "Where are they?"_

"_Oh... Um... I don't have their addresses."_

"_What a waste of time!"_ Babidi grunted.

The image changed. Hairiyu recognised the uniform as that of the ones the Budokai staff had worn. She guessed they were watching the guy who'd stupidly wormed out the names of her little brother and friends!

The man suddenly grabbed his head which began to inflate. Hairiyu watched revolted as his head began to expand, blood pouring from his nose. With a loud boom his head exploded.

"_Let that serve a lesson to you humans! No crank calls!"_ Babidi appeared again. _"You don't want to die like that, do you? I'm much too busy going around the world killing humans! I might be coming to your town next! There's no use running and hiding; in five days you'll all be gone! I'll be waiting!"_

With that he vanished.

"That madman!" Piccolo snapped.

"They're horrible," Dende nodded glumly.

"We can't see any more people be killed; I'll go!" Piccolo decided.

"No Piccolo!" Goku butted in. "If you go who will teach the boys the fusion technique? We can't beat Buu without fusing! They'll destroy the Earth anyway – we can still put it all right with the remaining wishes on the Dragonballs."

"He's right," Dende agreed.

"... Alright, I'll stay..." Piccolo reluctantly grumbled.


	90. Chapter 089

**Chapter 089 – Race to West City**

It had been almost an hour since Babidi's broadcast. Hairiyu'd grown anxious and restless since then and in the end had taken to sparring with Krillin, trying to grow stronger but also trying to find something to occupy her mind with! Seeing Babidi and Buu again had woken up her anger and she needed to channel it to a more useful and practical solution. She needed more strength and she needed it fast. Unfortunately this wasn't great news for Krillin; on more than one occasion he had to demand she slow down and calm herself, growing fearful of the level of power slowly seeping its way into her punches and kicks, not to mention the increasingly angry look on her face! In fact he soon grew so concerned he called the sparring session off much to Hairiyu's regret; she hadn't even noticed her temper slipping at all but could understand Krillin's concerns. She had to remember she was not the little girl needing to be protected by his superior strength anymore.

Finally Trunks and Goten had woken up. There'd been a small commotion when the two boys were found by Mr Popo; the two Super Saiyans, thinking the man was hostile, quickly went on the attack until finally Goku stopped them in their tracks. Goten had been pleased to see his father again. Hairiyu'd been glad to see they were both their usual energetic selves but knew there was a far harder task to be done before their training would start. Once they'd noticed her presence, the questions had started to fly, Trunks eager to know what had become of Buu and where there father was, Goten asking about Gohan and his location. They had no idea of the news the others had for them.

It wasn't easy to break it to them.

Neither of them took it well.

"No! My dad can't die!" Trunks yelled, desperately trying not to burst into tears as Goten had. The boy had been taught by their father never to show emotion and that it was always better to repress it. His age had caught up with him, no matter how hard he tried to follow his dad's rule, the sorrow was just too much for him.

"Gohan can't be dead!" Goten wailed bawling like the little child he was. "He can't be!"

It was heartbreaking to see them both like this; Hairiyu struggled to keep her own emotions under check, knowing what both her little brother and Goten were going through.

"We don't have time for crying!" Goku spoke sternly over the two wailing boys. "Learn to fuse fast if you want revenge – got that?"

The boys slowly began to calm down.

"I'm sorry but there's not much time; we don't know when Babidi will find us so we've gotta start now." Goku frowned.

"You could always use the Room of Spirit and Time," Piccolo suggested.

"No; the boys can only use it for two days in their lives," Goku shook his head, "They might need it later. It'll be ok; I'm sure these guys will pick this up fast."

Trunks and Goten had both stopped crying and were looking intensely at Goku, looks of distain and slight resentment towards the fighter. Something about their stares seemed a little menacing to Hairiyu and she grew uneasy. She could see the type of mood Trunks was in; he'd passed the sorrow and was now doing what his father would normally do; his rigid shoulders and clenched fists an obvious sign of many questions and furious answers running through his mind – and he wasn't the only one.

"Let's get started," Goku decided. "This technique will allow you to become far stronger provided it's done right! The fusion will only last for thirty minutes, even if you succeed. Once time is up you'll split back into two and won't be able to fuse for an hour."

"Only half an hour?" Piccolo grumbled fretful. "...That's not much time."

"They'll be able to get the job done," Goku disagreed with a confident smile, "that's how powerful this stuff is!" His attention turned back to the boys. "Alright, both of you turn Super Saiyan!"

Neither Trunks nor Goten did transform; their angry expressions still pinned to Goku. It seemed it was only now that the Saiyan noticed the resentment drifting from the two miniature warriors towards him.

"... What?" he tilted his head confused.

"What were you doing when dad and Gohan were killed?" Trunks asked.

Hairiyu blinked in surprise; this was almost instantly replaced with a frown. This wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. Indeed her brother was not in the most forgiving moods, the silent rage inside of him was about to break free no matter what Goku's response.

It took a while for the Saiyan to come back with an answer and in the end it was the truth delivered bluntly rather than through minced words. "... I was out cold," Goku answered.

"Knocked out? At a time like that?" Trunks snarled, tone rising a notch unimpressed by the warrior's answer. "You're supposed to be strong?"

"What are we gonna learn from you?" Goten grumbled, emphasising a hint of disgust towards his own father.

"H-How dare you!" Piccolo snapped. "This is Goku you're talking to!"

"Goku's saved the universe quite a number of times already!" Hairiyu stepped forward, her voice not as loud or aggressive as her former mentor's but still holding a tone of agitation for the two children's disrespectful remarks. She wouldn't allow them to show Goku such distaste and lack of faith; he was one of the greatest people she knew and certainly one of the strongest and wisest when it came to battle. He may not have had much brains when it came to society and everyday living but in battle he was almost unrivalled. Any advice he could give should always be taken seriously in her opinion. "Show a little more respect to him you guys; he's offering to teach you something useful!"

"What about you? Did dad knock you out as well?" Trunks redirected his attention – and unsympathetic attitude - towards his sister. "Why didn't you try to save him?" He demanded, the scowl across his face almost identical to that of his father in his early days.

"Guys! It's ok..." Goku interrupted before Hairiyu could answer, "It's fine. I'm weak now; I could never beat Buu but I can still teach you this trick. If you want to get back at Babidi and Buu for everyone's deaths, this is the only way."

The boys whispered amongst themselves, unsure of whether to trust the man or not. As they contemplated it umongst themselves, the other demi-Saiyan fell into her own thoughts as her brother's words and accusations sunk in. Again she'd been given a reminder that she hadn't been able to save her dad and best friend. It burned her inside. It felt worse coming from her little brother than it did herself. She turned and was about to walk out the room when suddenly a voice spoke out:

"_Hello again Earthlings! It's Babidi and Majin Buu!"_

Instantly Hairiyu closed her eyes; she could see Buu and Babidi floating above a large city. Her fists began to tighten as she began to anticipate the carnage that was about to happen. What were they now planning to torture them with?

"_I've found an even bigger city this time!"_ Babidi spoke, _"and it's about to be reduced to nothing unless Ma Jr., Trunks, and Goten show themselves!"_

"H-Hey, he's talking about us!" Trunks gasped.

"Close your eyes Trunks – you can see them!" Goten exclaimed.

"No!" Piccolo warned. "Don't watch; it's better that way!"

"Whoa!" Too late; Trunks had followed his friend's advice and could now see the images for himself.

"_It looks like no one's going to help me..."_ Babidi muttered, _"Looks like the casualties will increase! Maybe this time Buu will turn them into chocolate!"_

Buu's antenna shot forwards and fired off a bolt of light, once again shooting off some magic. Hairiyu watched furiously as once again thousands of people were turned into food; Buu using his magic to bring them towards him in a large mass, bottlenecking as he attempted to pile them into his mouth in one big go. With a flick of his wrist he tossed an energy beam, reducing the city to rubble.

'_Damn it!'_ Hairiyu hated this; she hated staying quiet! Her mind screamed to go and fight Buu but her body kept her still. She knew better than to run off; she knew she was no match for the tubby monster. She had to stay alive and become stronger.

"_Now that Buu's stuffed with chocolate, I think we'll just blow up the next town!"_ Babidi cackled. _"Where shall we go next?"_

"Babidi!"

The voice came from nearby, inside the very room she stood in. Hairiyu's eyes shot open alarmed and fell on Trunks.

"This is Trunks!" The boy snarled, fists shaking in front of him.

"I'm Goten!" Goten had joined in, shaken but furious.

"We can't do it now but soon we'll kill you both!" Trunks growled.

"Stop talking to him, he'll find out where you are!" Piccolo yelled making both the boys jump. Neither of them spoke another word much to Babidi's annoyance as he jeered and taunted them. Thankfully the boys resisted and the warlord bid his goodbyes to his worldwide audience, reminding them of the deadline they held and reinstalling fear into their hearts.

"So, are you boys ready to learn?" Goku asked once the talking was over.

Trunks and Goten both nodded.

It was at this point Hairiyu quickly left the room to let the training start; she didn't want to be a distraction towards any of them. As she wandered down the hallways she could feel the vibrations of the boys' powering up, sensing their ki bolt through that threshold as they transformed into Super Saiyans. She wondered what kinds of strategies Goku had in store for them but appreciated the suspense, feeling she had more pressing matters to focus on, namely her own training plans. She still hadn't worked out what to do yet...

She made it outside the palace and sat herself down on the steps. Trunks and Goten had started their training. What was there she could do to grow stronger?

"Everything alright?" Videl had wandered over, standing a couple of steps away from the thoughtful demi-Saiyan. This had been the first time the two friends had spoken since the events of the Budokai and a lot had happened during that time.

"Yeah, everything's alright," Hairiyu nodded. "Why'd you ask?"

"You seem a little confused," Videl replied, "... as if you're trying to think of something."

"Yeah... I'm trying to think of what to do," Hairiyu frowned, "the boys are inside getting trained and here I am with no training ideas. There's gotta be something that I can do..."

"_Hello Earthlings!"_

Babidi's voice pierced through the conversation; Hairiyu bolted to her feet and clamped her eyes shut. _'What? Again?'_ She grumbled in her mind.

"_I've just heard some interesting news! It seems one of my targets lives in the Capsule Corporation house in West City!"_

"NO!" Hairiyu almost screamed, panic striking her as she realised the imminent danger that would put her family in as well as any other plans involving the Dragonballs. "Nana and grandpa are still at home! Who told them?"

"Where's Goku?" Bulma cried. "We've got bad news! If they go there now-"

"I know!" Hairiyu nodded as she grabbed her mother by the arm and dashed back inside the palace, down the corridors whilst still listening to Babidi.

"_That's where we're headed now! You'd better show yourself Trunks or your city will disappear!"_

So it had been Trunks and not her who'd been found out? It didn't matter either way; her grandparents were in danger.

Hairiyu bolted into the room, "Goku! Nana and grandpa are gonna get killed!" She cried with dismay.

"Don't worry, the Dragonballs can bring them back to life," Goku replied rather coolly about the matter.

"West City will be destroyed as well!" Bulma added not sounding as panicked as her daughter but still her voice suggested some significance of the problem. "The Dragon Radar's in the lab Goku! It uses special parts; I can't make another radar here without them! We won't be able to make a wish if we can't find them!"

"What? That's not good... Trunks, go home and grab the radar," Goku instructed. "I'll stall Buu and Babidi!"

"Are you sure?" Trunks asked unconvinced. "Won't you get killed?"

"You sure you wanna send Trunks?" Hairiyu added worried. "I'm a lot faster than him; I could go get it!"

"Nah, Trunks will be just fine," Goku smiled. "Hurry and get there as fast as you can!"

With that he put two fingers to his forehead and teleported.

The race was on.

Hairiyu anxiously paced the floor as she and the others waited for Trunks and Goku to return safely. Whilst her little brother was rushing home to grab the Dragonball Radar, Goku was stalling for time and had confronted Babidi and Buu head-on. Babidi had relayed the scene to every person on the planet in a bid to make an example of Goku; thankfully it meant Hairiyu could see the fight happening right before her eyes.

What happened next completely blew her mind.

Goku had transformed into a Super Saiyan. _"This is a Super Saiyan."_

He then transformed again. _"This is the level that goes beyond a Super Saiyan. I guess you could call it Super Saiyan 2... and this..."_

'_... And this?'_ Hairiyu repeated in her mind unsure. _'Is he kidding? Can he really go one step further?'_

"You're joking right?" Krillin asked out loud. "There's more?"

"_This is the next level beyond that!"_

Goku began to scream loudly as his ki started to rise higher.

The lookout began to shake under the atmosphere; it was incredible that a place as far away as this was still being affected! Goku's ki continued to build, pushing higher and higher above anything Hairiyu'd ever sensed. She could feel it starting to rival even that of Buu's ki!

"It's incredible... and he's still going!" Piccolo exclaimed.

With a final scream, Goku vanished in a blinding light. What emerged was amazing. He stood opposing Babidi and Buu. Electricity danced around his body; hair reaching down his back. That was the most noticeable thing; the hair. Hairiyu could feel herself trembling under the pressure. Goku's ki was astounding!

"_This is Super Saiyan 3,"_ Goku spoke in a gruff voice. _"Sorry that took so long; I'm still not used to it yet."_

The battle was incredible. Hairiyu hadn't seen anyone dominate Buu this way. Goku was all over him, dealing hit after hit after hit. Buu had scared her on more than one occasion; sucking Goku into his overgrown belly at one point, then using both the Kamehameha and one of her father's attacks.

She wasn't sure whether or not to be happy the battle didn't last long.

Goku powered down from his Super Saiyan 3 form.

"_Hey, why you turn back?"_ Buu asked. _"This is fun! I want more!"_

"_I'm honoured,"_ Goku smiled, _"but I can't play with you forever. I'm heading back."_

"_Did you think you could escape alive?"_ Babidi sniggered. _"Buu, kill him to teach them all a lesson!"_

"_Babidi!"_ Goku spoke sternly. _"The ones you're looking for will appear in three – no – two days! Just wait for them! Stop this needless killing! Wait for two days, ok?"_

"_... Are they strong?"_ Buu asked.

"_Why should we do what you say?"_ Babidi sneered. _"Maybe we'll kill more people just to spite you!"_

"_Too bad,"_ Goku sighed, _"It would have been a lot of fun for Buu... I'll make sure they chew you out when you get to Hell!"_

With that Goku vanished. His ki shifted rapidly and in a flash he was back on the lookout.

"Daddy!" Goten cheered, running up to his father and hugging him, amazed with the intense battle he'd just witnessed. "You were awesome daddy!" He chanted eagerly.

Hairiyu rushed up to Goku, "What the hell was that?"

"What?"

"That transformation!" Hairiyu exclaimed. "That was incredible! You totally beat Buu down! Teach me how to do it!"

"Uh, I'm not sure I can!" Goku smiled sadly, "It took a long time for me to be able to reach that form and even now I don't have complete control over how much energy it takes to sustain it."

"Yeah, you do look pretty tired..." Hairiyu frowned. There had to be something she could do!

"Trunks is on his way back," Piccolo muttered. "He should be here soon."

Goku turned to the right; Hairiyu unsure why.

"... Buu's done it," the warrior spoke, "He's killed Babidi."

"... Oh yeah," Hairiyu noticed Babidi's ki had vanished and smiled. "Good riddance; that guy was such a pain!"

"I figured he'd get to that sooner or later," Goku nodded.

"If there's no one giving Buu orders, perhaps he won't keep on killing people," Hairiyu suggested.

"I'm not too sure, there's a chance that might happen but there's also a chance he'll keep on killing," Piccolo replied.

"I guess we'll find out," Goku agreed.

Hairiyu felt something tug on her clothes and glanced down to see Goten, "What's up Goten?"

"Since Trunks isn't here yet, can we spar?" Goten asked. "Dad said Trunks is stronger than me! I wanna be as strong as Trunks is!"

"Sure, we can spar until Trunks gets back though, ok?" Hairiyu nodded. "Your dad's gotta finish teaching you the fusion technique after all!"

"Yeah!" Goten cheered, jumping on the spot. As Goku and Piccolo chose to watch over the edge of the lookout, Hairiyu and Goten got into battle position, a couple of the non-fighters gathering to watch the small match.

"You guys be careful," Bulma called.

"Don't fight too hard!" Krillin cheered.

"Whenever you're ready Goten," Hairiyu smiled putting up her guard.

"Kay, here I go!"

Goten charged forwards and tossed out a fist; Hairiyu blocked and blocked again as Goten unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks. Indeed the boy was almost as strong as Trunks but Hairiyu felt she had to concentrate more as his art style was different. It reminded her of when she and Gohan used to spar when they were younger. A kick towards her ankle grabbed her attention and Hairiyu jumped up into the sky; Goten pushing himself up after her and continuing his assault.

For the majority of the session Hairiyu was on the defensive, choosing to let Goten attack so she could sharpen her reflexes. The challenge soon became rather dull for Goten's liking, so the rules were changed, both sparring up in the air above the palace so as not to cause any damage. Goten's speed was impressive; it was true he was a little less capable than Trunks but Hairiyu appreciated the challenge the miniature Goku posed, it was reminiscent of a young Gohan only a little less experienced and more bold. Soon after a long and gruelling session the two parted for a breather.

"You're pretty tough Goten," Hairiyu spoke praising the cheerful fighter, impressed with his strength. "At this rate you and Trunks could really become something!"

"Thanks!" Goten grinned proudly, "You're a lot faster than Gohan was!"

"Hey, why don't we see what happens if you become a Super Saiyan and I don't?" Hairiyu suggested. "That would be fun, wouldn't it?"

"Are you sure?" Goten asked a little concerned. "You have to promise not to turn into a Super Saiyan at all! You can't lie like Trunks did at the tournament!"

Hairiyu chuckled at the remark; Goten was indeed a little too trusting just like his father. She wouldn't mislead him. "Don't worry Goten, I won't transform. I promise."

"... Ok then!" Goten's ki began to rise, his hair floating up into the air, turning a golden yellow along with his aura as he transformed.

Hairiyu almost missed his movement; an explosive sound echoed as she blocked Goten's kick, another as she blocked a punch. His attacks definitely had more power to them and his speed had greatly increased, which was expected. Hairiyu found it harder to dodge and had to resort to blocking as Goten threw attack after attack after attack. With one hard blow to the cheek, Hairiyu shot backwards, flipping over and pushing off one of the roofs of the palace. Both fighters' fists met in another bang, shaking the palace floor slightly. In a flash Goten had struck Hairiyu in the stomach; Hairiyu's fist connecting with Goten's cheek. Several more attacks were thrown and connecting, causing the tiles on the floor to crack under the pressure.

"Trunks is back!"

Both Hairiyu and Goten stopped; glancing over to Piccolo. Indeed Trunks appeared seconds later, landing before them. Quickly forgetting the battle, both demi-Saiyans approached the boy along with the others.

"Here, one Dragonball Radar!" Trunks held out the Dragonball radar; Bulma taking it from her son's hands.

"Good job Trunks," Goku nodded. "We don't have much time. Let's get your training started!"


	91. Chapter 090

**Chapter 090 – Farewell to a Hero**

"Thirty minutes?" Hairiyu exclaimed shocked. "Are you sure?"

It hadn't been long since Trunks had returned successfully with the Dragonball Radar in tow. Finally it was time for Goku to teach his youngest son and his rival's son the technique which he claimed to be able to challenge Buu: the fusion technique. The unfortunate thing was that his stalling and transformation into the horrifyingly powerful Super Saiyan 3 form had severely drained Goku of the life force necessary to keep him in the living realm and now he only had half an hour left.

"I'm afraid so," Goku nodded grimly. "I don't have much time so you boys are gonna have to learn this fast; you too Piccolo."

Goku, Piccolo, Hairiyu, and the boys were currently away from the others in one of the many small rooms of the palace upon Kami's lookout. Although she didn't have to be there, Hairiyu was curious as to what the fusion technique would involve and felt she had to be there for her brother and Goten.

"You've really gotta pay attention." Goku instructed.

"Yes sir!"

Hairiyu was slightly taken back to see the boys so obedient and disciplined! Apparently she wasn't the only one showing such surprise; Goku wasn't entirely sure how to react to the sudden change in attitude the boys had towards him! "Why'd they... get so obedient all of a sudden?" He asked, sounding a little short of breath.

"Maybe seeing Super Saiyan 3 didn't hurt," Piccolo smirked.

"Let's get started then... you can practice getting your ki levels equal later..." Again Goku sounded as if he was struggling to catch his breath. Hairiyu wondered what was wrong; her first fear brought her back to seven years ago when he'd been struck down with the heart virus, though she quickly dismissed the thought.

"... Goku, are you alright?" Piccolo had noticed the lack of energy too. "You seem to be having trouble."

"You're breathing hard..." Hairiyu added concerned.

"I'll be fine..." Goku replied, "... It won't be long now..."

'_I wonder if it's because of his transformation earlier...?'_ Hairiyu mused to herself. _'He said it himself; he doesn't have much time left...'_ It made her feel uneasy to know soon Goku would be leaving them. He'd always made her feel safer and more confident, as if him being there meant that everything would be alright. She'd missed that feeling and wished he hadn't passed away seven years ago; living on Earth during a crisis such as this wasn't the same without Goku to be there to rally up the troops and provide hope.

Goku began his instructions on how to perform the fusion dance. "What I'm about to show you is the hardest part of fusion... After you match your energies... you have to make the same pose... I'll show you; watch carefully. First stand a small ways apart..." He began a visual demonstration as he raised both arms and pointed them across his body to the right. "Do this and watch the angle of your arms. Fu!" Goku made a couple of steps to the left. "Flip your arms and walk three steps closer together. Sion!" He raised his right knee and folded it over his other leg, throwing both arms to the right again. "Make a fist and watch the angle of your leg. Ha!" He fully extended his right leg and leant over, pushing both arms to his left at different angles. "Point your fingers together. Also don't forget to straighten your outside leg and point your toes! That's the fusion dance!"

No one spoke.

Hairiyu stared, unable to form any words. The last time she'd felt this speechless was when Gohan'd first tested out his Saiyaman disguise only this time she really did not know what to say! What she'd just witnessed with her own eyes could only be described as the most bizarre technique she'd ever seen! Was that really going to help them beat Buu? It seemed she was not the only one sceptical of the fusion dance. Neither of the boys knew what to make of it and both seemed a little embarrassed they'd have to perform such a dance.

"... Is it just me..." Trunks mumbled quietly, "... or did that look really lame?"

"Yeah..." Goten nodded nervously.

"You have to be symmetrical to one another," Goku added. "Ok, give it a try,"

"... What does symmetrical mean?" Trunks asked raising one eyebrow.

"Um... How do I explain it...?" Goku pondered. "... Ok, Piccolo and I will show you!"

Piccolo's face dropped with shock; his former pupil catching a glance of it and struggling against the desire to laugh. It was no use; Hairiyu couldn't help but burst out laughing. "This is something I've gotta see!" She chortled amused by the thought of Piccolo performing the fusion dance.

Indeed she wasn't disappointed. Both Goku and Piccolo performed the fusion technique, their moves symmetrical to one another showing the boys just what was expected of them. Once it was over both Goten and Trunks were encouraged to give it a go; Piccolo wiping the small amount of sweat from his ever-so-slightly blushing face.

"Ok, now we've shown you, give it a try..." Goku smiled.

The boys got into position, Hairiyu watching eagerly to make sure they were doing the right actions.

"Goku, I've gotta ask..." Piccolo spoke quietly, "... Did you say you wanted to do this with Vegeta? I seriously doubt he'd have agreed even if he were alive!"

"Totally agree with you there," Hairiyu snorted. "Dad would never in a million years agree to do that with you!"

"Why not?" Goku asked oblivious to the point the two were trying to make.

"Hey, instead of teaching us this fusion thing, why don't you just teach us to become that Super Saiyan 3 thing?" Trunks asked interrupting the adults' conversation. "Wouldn't that be better than some dumb fusion?"

"Yeah, show us dad!" Goten grinned excited. "If we could learn to do that then we'd beat Buu no problem!"

"You can't!" Goku growled stern eager to nip such thoughts in the bud. "Listen, neither of you are capable of becoming a Super Saiyan 3 and even if you were, it takes a lot of power and stamina to learn to control it. Trust me, in the long run learning the fusion will be much better." It was better to rely on something more suitable to the boy's power as the fusion dance than to attempt to teach them something much harder to master.

"... Alright..." Both boys frowned disappointed.

Hairiyu felt bad for her brother and Goten but trusted Goku's judgement. If it was better for them to learn the fusion then so be it; she would believe in Goku's plan as she'd always done. She wanted to learn how to become a Super Saiyan 3 herself but if what Goku said was true, she'd have a lot of work to do and no time to do it in...

Hairiyu gasped. Of course! She knew of a way that would give her more time!

"They look so sad..." Goku mused quietly before sighing and smiling. "Fine, I'll show you Super Saiyan 3 this one time but you guys have to promise to learn to fuse as fast as you can!"

"Promise!" Goten and Trunks nodded eagerly.

"Be smart Goku!" Piccolo barked. "You have less than half an hour until you have to leave; you're almost out of time!"

"I'm already out of time," Goku responded with a sad smile before turning his attention to the boys and an eager Hairiyu. "You three watch closely!"

The warrior suddenly powered up into a Super Saiyan with ease. "First, turn Super Saiyan." With a small push but a large explosion in his energy Goku transformed again, "Eventually you surpass the Super Saiyan and reach Super Saiyan 2... and then..." With a loud bellow Goku continued to build up his power. The wind suddenly picked up wildly, Hairiyu finding herself struggling to stay on her feet but managing to ride it out. The force grew stronger; she could feel herself slowly sliding across the ground, which shook under her feet violently. Trunks and Goten were both blown off their feet and almost fell off the ledge the room was perched on! Hairiyu could barely keep her eyes open as Goku transformed yet again, his hair reaching down the length of his back, his ki soaring to unbelievable levels. "This energy comes from deep inside! You have to push hard to find it!" A blinding flash of light forced her eyes to close, Hairiyu flinching away as the force battered against her trying desperately to stay standing on strong footing. The wind seemed merciful as it died down rapidly and she found herself able to stand easy again.

Seeing it with her own eyes was far more incredible than she'd expected. Goku looked amazing! Hairiyu couldn't speak; his ki was like something she'd never felt before. The sheer amount of power the transformation gave him... She may not have the skills or time necessary to learn the technique but she could at least try.

Goku stood before the amazed, speechless fighters, his blonde hair flowing gently as his stern face lightened up to a confident smile."... Tap into that and you can become a Super Saiyan 3..." The transformation was short lived as he suddenly fell to one knee, falling out of his transformation back to his normal form, breathing harder than before. Before anyone could ask he held out a hand and smiled, "Don't worry... I'm alright..."

"Goku."

Hairiyu almost jumped when she heard Baba's voice from behind them though she didn't recognise her or remember who she was, just that she'd seen her arrive with Goku during the Budokai. The little witch floated upon her crystal ball, her fingers woven into one another as she sat perched upon the spherical object, a grim look upon her aged face. "That little stunt you just pulled drained you of what little time you had left!" She spoke. "It's time to return to the otherworld."

Hairiyu felt her heart jerk at her words. Did he really have to leave them now? That small glimmer of hope was fast leaving her mind knowing Goku was also leaving them for good.

"I see..." Goku smiled sadly. "Piccolo, the rest is up to you. I'm confident that the boys will pick this up fast."

The small group made their way outside where the others were told of Goku's departure. Naturally there was a mixture of sorrow but high spirits as everyone gathered around the fighter, eager to see him off before they lost their chance.

"It feels weird to say this but take care," Krillin sighed.

"It's a shame you couldn't enjoy yourself while you were here," Bulma mused.

"Goku!" Chichi's loud voice called as the woman came rushing out of the palace and ran into her husband, clinging to him as if she'd die if she let him go. "It's not fair! First I lose my son and now I have to lose you too?" She wailed, tears forcing their way from her eyes.

Hairiyu felt sad for Chichi; hearing about Gohan's death had taken its toll on her. She knew how much she loved her son and the impact it had had on her. From what she'd been aware of, Chichi had spent most of the time since learning of Gohan's death resting after fainting.

"Aww don't be so sad Chichi," Goku comforted his wife sounding more upbeat and cheerful than his saddened wife. "You still have Goten."

"... What if Buu takes him away too?" Chichi sobbed.

"Don't worry. That won't happen as long as Goten and Trunks master the fusion technique. I'll say hi to Gohan for you when I see him."

"Um... I don't think you'll see him..." Videl spoke up. "I think Gohan is still alive somewhere."

Goku and several others turned to the human girl uncertain. "Why'd you say that?" Goku asked intrigued.

"I dunno... I just have this feeling..." Videl replied quietly not sounding entirely convinced herself.

"I know how you feel," Krillin smiled sadly, "We can sense ki... and... well..."

"I hope he's alive," Goku replied. A couple of small sounds coming from his son caught his attention. "... What's wrong Goten?"

"I know, you want your daddy to give you a hug," Chichi realised.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Goku lifted his son up into the air and brought him close; Goten clinging to his father as if he'd die if he were to let go. Hairiyu couldn't help but smile. Goten had only gotten to see his father for less than a day and it seemed they'd already grown close; they both had a lot in common and she knew Goten to be quite a clingy child to his mother. So it was no surprise he was eager to stick close to his dad as well. Her heart wrenched for the poor boy as his father spoke to him: "Goten, take care of mum."

All too soon Goten was placed down on his feet and Goku rose up into the sky.

"See you all when you die!"

With that he was gone.

"Now that's a cheery thought..." Krillin muttered wryly.

Hairiyu turned to Piccolo. "Before you start training the boys, I need to check something with you."

"Certainly," Piccolo nodded. The two quickly led the children back to the room they'd been practising the fusion dance in and along the way, Hairiyu began to explain her plan to Piccolo to see how it sounded to her former mentor. Piccolo listened intently and nodded as she went along until finally she'd finished.

"...So that's the plan," Hairiyu spoke. "I wanna try and get stronger and I haven't exactly got a lot of time to do it in, except for if I were to enter the Room of Spirit and Time."

"I see," Piccolo nodded. "We have two days until Goten and Trunks have to face Buu. You can only spend one more day inside the chamber before your time runs out. I can see the urgency of the situation but I can't help but wonder if you'll need to use it again in the future."

"Why don't I use it for half a day instead then?" Hairiyu suggested. "At least that way I'd still have half a day left if I ever need it... It'll give me six months inside the room which I think should be enough."

"That may be a better idea," Piccolo agreed. "Alright, I'm going to train the boys; you go into the chamber now. Even though Goku told Buu it would be two days before he would fight this powerful opponent the boys are supposed to create, we don't know if Buu will wait for that long."

"Ok," Hairiyu smiled.

"What's this chamber you're talking about?" Trunks asked intrigued by the conversation and sticking his nose into other people's business, as usual.

"It's a room where you can get a year's worth of training in one day," Hairiyu explained. "While I'm gone you guys have to make sure you listen to Piccolo. Make sure you get the fusion dance mastered and I'll try to grow stronger, ok?"

"Right," Goten and Trunks nodded.

"Good luck sis," Trunks added uncertain of what entirely his sister was referring to.

With that Hairiyu left the room and headed outside to tell her mother where she'd be. There was no time to waste; Buu could be killing many more innocent people with every second she wasted so she'd have to be swift. She soon found the location her mother and friends were in and explained the situation to them.

"So you're going into that strange room again?" Bulma frowned. "Well alright, just make sure you become as strong as you can! I'm still not too happy leaving the fate of the Earth to Goten and Trunks."

"Don't worry mama; we'll all work hard," Hairiyu smiled. "I'll be out in twelve hours!"

"... Sorry to interrupt but what the heck is the Room of Spirit and Time?" Videl asked baffled.

"I'll explain it to you later," Krillin replied to the human before turning his eyes back onto the demi Saiyan before them. "Work hard and keep yourself safe but don't work too hard! Remember if it gets tough you can come out earlier."

"Will do," Hairiyu nodded. "See you guys in twelve hours!"

With that Hairiyu made her way down the corridors, straight towards the room. She walked in, vanishing behind the door.

The room was just as she remembered it. The hot, heavy air filled her lungs as she passed through the clinically white room inspecting the living facilities - including the pantry to make sure it was stocked up. Concern hit her when she noticed just how little food there was compared to the last time she'd walked into this room seven years ago. There was still more than enough food to last her for six months though after her exit she knew the room would need to be restocked.

Hairiyu strode into the wider, vaster space of nothing, taking in the lack of scenery before her. Even now seeing nothing but white brought chills to her spine. Last time she'd been in here for nine hard, demanding and torturous months along with Goku and Gohan; this time she was all alone. She'd need to head Krillin's advice and do everything she could to take care of herself; if anything where to happen there'd be no one to take care of her.

With that sobering thought in her mind, Hairiyu stepped out into the vast nothingness, not really noticing the change of gravity as she'd become accustomed to higher gravity whilst training with her dad and Trunks. She had six months to go...

The lookout seemed peaceful. She walked down the corridor heading outside. There were bruises and a few cuts on her body, her clothes slightly torn from the training she'd endured.

When she finally made it outside she found only Piccolo, Dende and Mr Popo were around.

"You're hurt!" Dende gasped, rushing over towards her and holding his hands out to her, "Don't worry, I'll heal you."

"Thanks Dende," Hairiyu smiled, relaxing as Dende's hands began to glow along with her whole body. She felt her aches and pains vanish and in no time she was back to her usual self.

"Did the training work?" Mr Popo asked.

"I hope so," Hairiyu replied, turning to the taller Namekian. "What do you think Piccolo?"

"... You do seem stronger than before..." Piccolo noted. "... Whether or not it's enough to stop Buu is another matter."

"Guess we'll have to wait and see," Hairiyu mused. "Where's everyone else?"

"Inside the palace," Dende answered. "Goten and Trunks are asleep."

"Have the boys managed to do the fusion yet?" Hairiyu asked.

"Not yet," Piccolo shook his head, "They're going to do it today."

Hairiyu spent the majority of the day meditating and shadow-boxing as Piccolo continued to teach Trunks and Goten the fusion technique. Finally it seemed it was time for the boys to test it for real...

Piccolo brought the boys outside so as not to cause any damage to the palace. Hairiyu waited alongside them as the others began to come out of the palace. Bulma spotted her daughter and rushed over, not giving Hairiyu much of a chance as she tightly hugged her! "Mama, not so tight!"

"How did the training go? Are you hurt? Did you manage to get any stronger?" Bulma fired off as many questions as she could.

"I'm alright and the training went ok." Hairiyu responded.

"You do seem a lot stronger than the last time I saw you!" Krillin smiled eyeing up the seemingly stronger fighter before him. "Maybe now you could give Buu a run for his money!"

"I could try," Hairiyu replied uncertain.

"Good, both your ki are identical," Piccolo's voice interrupted the conversation and attention turned to the boys. "Begin the fusion!"

"Fuu..." The boys took three steps towards the other, swinging their arms towards the other. "Sion." Both arms were tossed away from their partner; the outside knee towards them. "Haa!"

To Hairiyu's astonishment the boys began to glow and merge into one blob of light! There was a blinding flash as the merger took place. What resulted stunned everyone. Hairiyu felt her jaw drop, eyes widening in disbelief. "... What is... that?"

Before them stood a small, pudgy boy bordering on the morbidly obese side of the scale!

"... That's it?" Yamcha asked baffled.

"This had better be reversible!" Bulma muttered.

"Not even a mother could love that!" Chichi added horrified!

"This is the one who can beat Buu?" Krillin mumbled. "... Doesn't seem very likely, does it?"

"I get it!" Yamcha exclaimed. "It's an eye for an eye! He's probably just as fat as Majin Buu!"

"I doubt that's how it works..." Hairiyu shook her head unconvinced, "Goku said that the fusion technique would make any two weaklings far stronger! With Trunks and Goten fusing they should be far stronger than both of them put together! The ki I'm sensing from this little guy is ridiculously weak!"

The pudgy boy started to stretch (or try to stretch) and began to run, albeit it was at a snail's pace! After a couple of steps the boy was suddenly bent over gasping for breath as if he'd almost drowned!

"... I expected something a little more..." Master Roshi mused.

"There's no way he can beat Buu..." Hairiyu frowned.

"I think I see what the problem is," Piccolo muttered. "When you did the 'sion', Trunks' hands were in the wrong position. Instead of making a fist, he extended his index finger. At that point your hands must be a fist! Now start over!"

The boy stood still staring back at Piccolo.

"... What are you waiting for? Change back!" Piccolo spat.

"... How do we do that?" The boy asked.

Piccolo stared back for a moment stumped. "... I guess we'll have to wait the half hour out..."

Whilst waiting for the thirty minutes to end, the group endlessly bombarded the fused boy with questions.

"You're not exactly Goten or Trunks, are you?"

"How'd you end up with those clothes?"

"Do you have a name?" Yamcha asked.

"Gotenks," the boy replied.

"I knew you'd have a name!" Chichi smiled.

Eventually the fusion wore off. The boys were given an hour's rest before they were told to try again.

The boys stood ready.

"Fuu... sion... Haa!"

Again the merger commenced. In another flash of light, the result appeared.

An aging, malnourished boy stood in front of them.

"Another flop," Master Roshi frowned.

"He's out of breath already..." Yamcha gawked.

"Your fingers were not aligned when you spoke the 'ha'!" Piccolo snapped. "Fuse again in an hour!"

Hairiyu felt bad for the boys; apparently fusing wasn't as easy as it seemed!

The fusion cancelled and in another half an hour, the boys were ready to give it their third try.

"Now, let's try again!" Piccolo barked.

"Fuu... sion... Haa!"

This time the symmetry was there. The boys began to merge once again, light engulfing them. Hairiyu could barely look but could sense it forming, she could sense the incredible power forming in front of her. Her brother's ki mixed in with Goten's and began to multiply.

The light vanished.

Hairiyu gasped in awe.

This was the one.


	92. Chapter 091

**Chapter 091 – The Fused Warrior Gotenks**

The blinding light omitting across the lookout shimmered almost like a second son, its rays passing along and above the hovering palace as the result of the fusion technique started to reveal itself. After being forced to recoil from the terrific light, the group of onlookers all soon started to peer through half-lidded eyes unsure of what they'd see before them. At last Gotenks would be born.

"It worked!" Piccolo cried.

The boy who stood before the group was that of a warrior. His young body was toned and powerful, his glare menacing but youthful. His hair seemed to take more after Goten as it was spiky and stood upright, although he did have purple strands either side. It was the face that seemed to take more after Trunks; Hairiyu could see he was almost the spitting image of her father! The boy stared back at the amazed group, hands resting on his hips. The confidence and air radiating off of him was staggering, almost crushing.

"It's a tempest of power!" Master Roshi gasped. "He's the one all right!"

"How can you tell?" Bulma asked unconvinced.

"He looks tougher I guess..." Chichi mumbled just as baffled as Bulma.

"You can't tell?" Videl spluttered glancing over to the two mothers. "He's amazing!"

"At last!" Piccolo sighed relieved that this time the fusion had been performed successfully. At least now they knew of some of the amazing abilities this fusion dance was capable of but there was still much to learn. They would also need to see the extent of his power; Piccolo was absolute that the incredible power they were sensing was just the tip of the iceberg, especially if he harnessed his Saiyan capabilities and transformations. "Alright, next we'll try fusing as Super Saiyans."

Hairiyu knew just from sensing her half-brother's ki that he was a powerful fighter but she couldn't help but wonder if his lack of experience as a fighter would hinder him. Strength was one thing but tactics and experience were just as important.

"Nuh-uh, we're not doing this as Super Saiyans," Gotenks smugly waved one finger out before him, an arrogant smirk on his young face strongly resembling that of Vegeta. "What do you take me for? This is enough to beat Buu."

Hairiyu blinked in surprise. "What?" She spluttered with alarm. This was sounding awfully familiar to her.

"How dare you!" Piccolo bellowed infuriated with the sheer arrogance and lack of respect the young boy was displaying. "You know nothing about Buu! You may be powerful but it's scarcely enough to beat him! Now you will stay here and fuse in an hour as Super Saiyans, got it?"

"Sure, but you don't," Gotenks sniggered. "Don't underestimate me! How about I prove to you how strong I am by bringing back Buu's corpse?" With little other warning he levitated up into the sky above them, alarming the fighters of the group.

"Wait! Trunkten!" Piccolo called.

"Gotenks," Mr Popo corrected quietly.

"Piccolo's right, you can't go charging off!" Hairiyu bellowed. "Wait!"

Their calls went ignored. Before anyone could even jump from the lookout to restrain him, Gotenks charged off down towards Earth. Even while the fool was charging off Hairiyu couldn't help but admire his speed!

"That arrogant little-" Piccolo snarled furiously, choosing not to comment on the boy's impressive and phenomenal speed. "If he gets killed now then everything rests on Hairiyu!" He spat grumpily crossing his tensed arms.

Hairiyu gulped suddenly feeling very nervous. She didn't like the sound of that; everyone on Earth needed to be saved and she didn't like the idea of that resting on her shoulders! It wasn't that she wasn't up to it, she just hated feeling all the pressure and knowing if she failed it was all over. The training she'd endured had gone well but she didn't know how she now compared to Buu. She was far stronger but the Majin was now on his own, unrestrained by Babidi and untameable by anyone else alive. He had incredible powers and seemed to be able to regenerate from nothing. She may have grown a lot in the six months she'd spent training but would she have the magnitude of power to actually cause some damage? She wasn't entirely convinced, no matter how many times she tried to tell herself otherwise!

"Maybe he'll pull it off?" Krillin suggested sounding as if he was grasping for signs of hope rather than feeling the hope itself!

"He did seem pretty sure of himself," Yamcha nodded.

Fortunately Gotenks did return in under half an hour, albeit battered and bruised and needing medical attention. Much to their surprise (or lack of it), he'd lost.

"You'll fight Buu tomorrow!" Piccolo yelled furiously. "Today you train! Fusion requires strength and strategy, understand?"

Time passed; the fusion quickly wore off just as Dende was about to tend to Gotenks' wounds. Instead he had to heal two people instead of one; Goten receiving a harsh spanking from his overly concerned mother! Chichi had not been impressed in the least with her son's behaviour though fortunately Bulma seemed to have taken it better. Hairiyu guessed it was her being used to similar behaviour from her father. Soon Goten and Trunks were taken back to the little room by Piccolo and began to practice fusion as Super Saiyans under the Namekian's strict and watchful eye.

A couple of hours passed and soon it was time for them to give it a try, this time as Super Saiyans.

"Don't get cocky this time, even if it succeeds!" Piccolo ordered sternly; the boys sheepishly chuckling and rubbing the backs of their heads and mumbling amongst themselves. They both transformed into Super Saiyans under Piccolo's instruction, aligning their power levels to an equal level.

'_Wonder how this'll turn out,'_ Hairiyu noted to herself; she couldn't help but feel anxious about this. If this would be anything like the last time, they'd need to make a quick grab to stop the foolishly overconfident fusion in his tracks.

"Fuu... sion... Haa!"

Goten and Trunks' bodies began to merge, light swallowing them up as once again they fused into Gotenks. The fused warrior stood with a smirk on his face, his ki incredibly strong for someone his age, very overwhelming considering his youth.

'_So far so good,'_ Hairiyu gulped, eyes peeled on the fighter.

"Astounding!" Yamcha cried.

"They did it!" Krillin exclaimed, "It was a total success!"

"Maybe," Hairiyu mumbled to herself keeping a keen eye on the warrior before them. That smug look was still there, as was the certain assurance in his capabilities. She didn't trust him not to run off.

"Maybe indeed..." Piccolo mused to himself as he stepped forward, "Your ki is impressive but we shall see. Come at me!"

Gotenks' smirk grew wider, "You sure you wanna do it here? We might wreck the place. Let's go down to Earth!"

In an instant he'd bolted from the lookout; Piccolo cursing as he chased after the fused fighter.

"... He has a better body... but his ego's even worse than before!" Krillin groaned cynically.

"He's a fast little fighter," Hairiyu seemed to be in awe and for good reason! She could sense his ki soaring around the planet at an unbelievable speed! "... He might even be faster than me!" She exclaimed.

"There's no way Piccolo's gonna be able to catch him!" Krillin sighed feeling sorry for the Namekian who was apparently lagging behind. "I dunno if I like that we're having to rely on this kid; I can't believe I'm about to say this but I think Vegeta's ego has a rival!"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Hairiyu chuckled sympathetically. It seemed as if her father was still here in spirit but there was no denying felt as if Gotenks was far more out of control than her father'd ever been! No, perhaps it was the same after all...

Piccolo soon returned looking pretty worn out and with no Gotenks in tow. Gotenks didn't return; Goten and Trunks did – and only after another couple of hours had passed! Naturally Piccolo scolded the boys for wasting time and soon the training continued; the boys spending the remainder of the day practicing the fusion once again. Piccolo decided they would perform the dance once more before packing it in for the day; again as Super Saiyans.

"He wants to try it again?" Yamcha asked with a hint of uncertain amusement in his voice.

"Yeah," Krillin nodded nervously.

"I hope he's planning to let them rest soon; they've both been working hard all day!" Chichi muttered resting clenched fists upon her hips as she followed the group.

The group wandered outside where Piccolo, Goten and Trunks were getting ready. The boys got into position.

"Now remember, as soon as you're fused you will take this seriously and fight with me, got it?" Piccolo barked.

"Y-Yes sir!" Both boys nodded. Their tone and attitude suggested perhaps that Piccolo had installed some kind of fear into them. Hairiyu could empathise with her younger brother and Goten; she recalled many occasions in her youth where Piccolo was one of the last people she'd wanted to be around! He was still the strict, harsh and forceful mentor he'd been when she'd been training with him. Hairiyu drew herself away from her memories and stood close to Piccolo. She didn't trust Gotenks; Goten and Trunks would have promised anything when they remained separate beings but from her limited observations, Gotenks was a sly, brash fighter. She knew as soon as they'd fused Gotenks would more than likely try to make a run for it again! She wasn't going to let it happen, not this time. Too much was riding on him staying alive!

"Fuu... sion... HAA!"

The blinding flash of light engulfed them both, almost leaving everyone unable to see. Gotenks soon emerged from the light and grinned as expected-

From out of nowhere he was sent soaring backwards through the sky bolting over the edge of the lookout in a flash though this was not due to him trying to flee; a Super Saiyan Hairiyu was metres behind chasing after him! The move caught everyone, including Piccolo, by surprise as the two Super Saiyans disappeared down below the lookout.

"What the heck is she doing?" Krillin gawked taken by surprise.

Piccolo stood quietly, wandering over to the edge of the lookout and peering over.

Hairiyu could see Gotenks just ahead of her regaining control over his flight, so she began to charge up an energy attack in the palms of her hands.

"What did you do that for?" Gotenks bellowed angrily coming to a halt clutching his throbbing jaw.

"Fight me!" Hairiyu yelled, throwing forwards several ki attacks, all of which Gotenks dodged with ease. She was face-to-face with him in seconds and went to grab him; Gotenks flew up above her and grinned.

"You're such a slowcoach! I'm way faster than you!" He jeered spitting his tongue out.

Hairiyu teleported, reappearing behind a startled Gotenks. Her cupped fists narrowly missed striking him in the head; the boy keeping his cool as he narrowly dodged and flew off to the side. Hairiyu chased after him continuing her onslaught of rapid fire ki blasts; her attacks still barely missing. Gotenks was nimble and capable but had been on the defensive. Hairiyu wanted to see his fighting technique and compare herself to him yet all he did was run!

"Stop following me; you're wasting time!" Gotenks spat as he fled; Hairiyu inches away from him. "I've got more important things to do!"

"Like what? Get yourself beaten down by Buu again?" Hairiyu retaliated. "If you wanna fight him you're gonna have to get rid of me first and the Trunks in you must know how damn well powerful I can be!" With that Hairiyu threw forward a hand and started firing off ki blasts again; Gotenks deflecting and dodging, teleporting and reappearing behind Hairiyu and headed in the opposite direction quickly leaving her in the dust! Hairiyu sharply changed her direction and charged after him.

She couldn't catch up to him like this; Hairiyu had to push herself further if she was going to stop him from running away.

With a roar she began to build up her ki, clenching her fists as she flew after Gotenks. Her hair shot up as she transformed into a Super Saiyan 2, suddenly closing in rapidly on Gotenks who had not noticed his foe's power increase fast enough. A hand grabbed him by the ankle and with a strong grip she tossed him in a sky-bound direction as she rolled head over heels, reaching upright again and releasing Gotenks down towards the ground with as much force as she could muster. Gotenks was barely able to stop himself, landing heavily with both feet on the ground which cracked violently upon impact. He glanced up to see Hairiyu closing in on him. Hairiyu saw a sneer come over his face; his hand rose up to the sky...

Yellow ki blasts suddenly shot directly towards at her. Thinking fast Hairiyu twirled and twisted as she shot down at the ground avoiding the blasts as best she could, the time needed to dodge increasing the closer she got. Gotenks jumped back as she approached; fists clashed as the two began to battle in hand-to-hand combat. His fighting style was good, his attacks were accurate. He'd lost his speed advantage thanks to Hairiyu's transformation.

"What's wrong with you? Why don't you go pick on someone else?" Gotenks snarled through the close combat growing increasingly annoyed with her interferences.

"You're the only other fighter who's gonna challenge Buu!" Hairiyu answered loudly over the slaps and bangs of their hits. "I'm not gonna let you run after Buu and ruin our chances of beating him!"

"You're the one ruining our chances!" Gotenks yelled. "Sis, get lost!"

"Make me!" Hairiyu spat. "If you wanna fight Buu then prove you're stronger than I am!"

"I'm a heck of a lot stronger than you!" Gotenks sneered, jumping back and swinging out a kick; Hairiyu ducked, gasping when she saw Gotenks' hand shoot under the kick, palm out. She jumped back as ki shot forwards, striking the ground inches from her. Gotenks landed and jumped forwards, fist held back and thrown forward, striking Hairiyu's arm as she blocked. Several more strikes were made to her blocking arms; Hairiyu could feel them starting to numb, her bones taking a pounding from Gotenks' severe attacks. She defensively took one step back and swung her leg up; Gotenks shooting up into the air, flipping over and landing on his feet several metres away.

'_His attacks aren't that bad but his defence is lousy!' _Hairiyu straightened and stood patiently, throbbing arms by her sides. _'At this rate he won't beat Buu, even as a Super Saiyan...'_

"... That hurt!" Gotenks spat, rubbing his chin once more, "If you want me to pummel you into the ground so much then fine! I'll show you just how tough I am!" Gotenks burst forward towards his older sister, fists drawn back.

Hairiyu's feet pushed off the ground; she shot towards the incoming Gotenks with her own attack charging up. Both met with a clash, slowly rising up into the sky as they sparred, fists and kicks flying. Gotenks jumped back and fired off an energy attack; Hairiyu countered with one of her own, overpowering Gotenks' attack and sending him shooting backwards, crashing to the ground with a loud and heavy thud. Hairiyu rushed down to where Gotenks had fallen, spotting him in the middle of a small crater rising to his feet. Gotenks looked up and gasped, raising his arms as Hairiyu attacked, locked in close combat once again. A sharp blow to her stomach almost knocked the wind from Hairiyu's lungs; Gotenks slamming his foot into her abdomen before unleashing a barrage of powerful punches to her face. Hairiyu was sent shooting to the side; Gotenks chased after her.

She opened one eye through the pain, spotting Gotenks closing in on her. With a strong spring of her arms, Hairiyu backflipped and landed on both feet, ready as Gotenks continued his onslaught. Her arms were numb with the pain from enduring each hit; it felt as if the fused warrior had decided to go all out against her. He was welcome to.

"What's wrong? Am I too tough for you?" Gotenks jeered. "No one can beat Gotenks, no one!"

"No one except me!" Hairiyu grinned; the confidence rather uncharacteristic of her but that was because she was enjoying the fight. She ducked under an arm and propelled her own fist into Gotenks' stomach, temporarily stunning the boy. Another blow to the same spot sent him shooting back through the air. In a flash she was hundreds of metres from her original position, slamming Gotenks down into the ground with cupped fists. The force displaced loose rock and dust, swallowing both fighters up in its midst.

The Super Saiyan 2 retreated to the sky, wiping the blood from her jaw. The punches Gotenks had dealt were stinging but it was nothing she wasn't used to. Hairiyu'd had to deal with far worse wounds before. She knew Gotenks wasn't done yet.

Sure enough the boy shot out from the dust. She wasn't expecting an energy attack to come up with him! Hairiyu frantically dodged the ki blast as it rushed past her, one eye kept on the other problem. Gotenks collided head-on with Hairiyu, the blow slightly cushioned by her palms. Gotenks grabbed her by the ankle and began to swing her around. Releasing her, Gotenks tossed his sister to the ground, firing ki blasts after her for good measure. Hairiyu crashed on her feet, turning and gasping when she realised how close the attacks were! She didn't have time to run; her arms shot up protecting her face as the ki blasts exploded around her...

The dust stung her eyes and lungs, a couple of ki balls striking her in the arms and legs. Each explosion rocked the ground at her feet dispelling the surface; each explosion going off with a deafening bang. She couldn't see or hear with all the commotion around her! Amidst it all Hairiyu managed to stay on her feet. With the dust quickly clearing she glanced up; Gotenks had vanished. Her senses quickly picked up on moment; Hairiyu ducked under a kick, turning on her hands and throwing up a double-kick to the fusion's back. Hairiyu flipped back onto her feet, ready as Gotenks charged her with another ki blast; dodging and firing one of her own which Gotenks nimbly dodged.

"Missed me!" Gotenks jeered raising one finger tauntingly at his sister-

He was suddenly engulfed by light, Hairiyu holding onto the attack she was about to throw baffled as to what was going on.

Gotenks vanished; Trunks and Goten shooting out from the light! Both boys looked worn out and had apparently taken battle damage. Before either could speak, both boys collapsed onto the ground.

Hairiyu sighed and wiped her brow. "... Poor kids..." She mumbled, assuming it had been a mixture of the fusion and her attacks that had done it. She walked over to them and picked them both up under her arms before taking to the sky. They'd certainly given her a good workout and now she knew that if either of them were to fight Buu, it was best to let it be her. Gotenks was not ready for such a battle.

It wasn't a long flight back to the lookout. Hairiyu flew over the top of the floating palace and landed outside; Piccolo, Dende and some of the others rushing over to her.

"They're exhausted," Hairiyu answered before anyone could speak, gently placing her brother and Goten on the floor.

"I'll get right on it," Dende nodded, kneeling beside Goten and holding his arms out over the sleeping boy.

Hairiyu glanced up to Piccolo, "Sorry I butted in Piccolo, I know they were supposed to fight with you."

"You're lucky Buu didn't find you!" Piccolo growled unimpressed. Then his face lightened up slightly. "... Although you did manage to stop him from flying off. You've definitely grown a lot stronger... but if that was your full power..."

"It wasn't," Hairiyu shook her head. "That was about half. I didn't wanna go all out against him; just test his abilities. He's got the power but he needs more experience and training."

"Goten!" A hysterical Chichi's scream almost made Hairiyu jump out of her skin! "Oh my poor baby! I'm so glad you're better now!" The woman cried, tightly hugging the now-healed Goten, much to his squirms!

"Mother, I'm fine! That hurts!" He protested though he mostly let her baby him just to keep her happy.

"Did you have to go that hard on the boys?" Bulma glared, approaching her daughter.

Hairiyu gulped and slowly shook her head, "Sorry mama; I knew they'd be able to handle it though!"

"That's your little brother!" Bulma yelled folding her arms. "You hold back more next time, ok?"

"Why are you yelling at Hairiyu?" Trunks asking, now fully healed.

"Hey, what happened?" Goten asked. "Did Hairiyu do something bad?"

"Tell us!" Trunks grinned smug. "I wanna see her get yelled at!"

"No one's gonna see her being yelled at!" Piccolo bellowed. "You two still have a lot to learn! Now back to training!"

"Aww, but we just got back!" Goten frowned. "Can we please take a rest, Piccolo?"

"You're too uptight!" Trunks agreed. "Just leave it to us! With Goten and I fused as Gotenks, and with my big sister here, we're strong enough to beat Buu!"

"I fought with both of your fathers in combat before you were even born – you two don't have a clue!" Piccolo yelled. "When I say we train, we train! Got it?"

"How dare you!" Chichi scolded marching up to the tall Namekian, not in the least bit phased by his own fury at the two boys. "Goten and Trunks are both boys, not men!" She lectured.

"They need to rest!" Bulma added.

"Um... Chichi, mama?" Hairiyu tried to intervene but a quick glare from her mother stopped her.

"Goku let Gohan take rests when he was training him; it's only fair!" Chichi grumbled. "They're only children!"

"What good is all this training going to be if they're exhausted by the time they need to fight?" Bulma protested.

Hairiyu felt bad for Piccolo; being pitted up against two feisty women such as her mother and Chichi was bound to be a difficult feat to overcome! He seemed to lull it over before giving a slightly defeated glance.

"... Fine... Perhaps it would be in their interest..." Piccolo muttered. "They can rest!"

As Bulma and Chichi chased after their sons telling them to take a bath, Hairiyu turned to Piccolo and spoke quietly. "They're pretty intimidating when they wanna be but they mean well..."

"I'm surprised you agreed," Dende added impressed.

"Never train children when their mothers are around," Piccolo grumbled bitterly. "It's always trouble!"


	93. Chapter 092

**Chapter 092 – The Split**

Hours passed on by; Hairiyu spent most of it resting after her battle with Gotenks. Dende had healed her once again; her wounds would have taken almost a week to vanish if left to heal naturally. There was a large benefit to this; her Saiyan genes meant she'd now become stronger after such a tough battle. Even if it hadn't been her full power, even if it hadn't pushed her to her limits, a power-up right now would help no matter how big or small. This was Buu they were faced against and even now Hairiyu still had little idea on how she was actually going to defeat him.

Feeling there was not much else to do but wait for Gotenks to improve, Hairiyu decided it was best to rest her body and took a nap in one of the many bedrooms of the palace, gently falling asleep to the sounds of her brother and Goten chanting and reciting those magical words. By the time the boys were sent to bed themselves Hairiyu was fast asleep.

When she awoke she found Piccolo and Dende peering over the edge of the lookout. Curious she wandered over to them, stretching from the peaceful sleep she'd had, surprised at how soundly she slept considering all that had been going on. "Anything interesting?" She asked nonchalantly.

"More odd than interesting," Dende smiled peering over his shoulder pleased to see she was awake. "Mr Satan is with Buu, it seems like he's making friends with him!"

"Mr Satan?" Hairiyu almost choked on her own breath! "What's he doing; the idiot!" She peered over the lookout, not too surprised all she could see were clouds moving below! She wasn't a Namekian or a present or former guardian of Earth; she couldn't see what they could see! "... Could someone tell me what they're doing? Is Buu killing him?"

"No, for some reason the braggart is still alive!" Piccolo snorted, sounding almost disappointed but amazed of what he was witnessing. There was an odd look of interest twinkling in the Namekian's eye as a thought process formulated through his mind. The possibilities of this event were almost endless and for once there seemed to be some rays of hope seeping through.

"Maybe it means we won't have to fight?" Dende smiled grabbing onto one of the more positive thoughts.

"No, there's still a threat." Piccolo shook his head uncertain. It was risky to assume that now Mr Satan and Buu seemed to be forging an alliance that nothing bad could go wrong. One wrong move and Buu could easily take the braggart's life and then it would still be as it was before.

"Are Trunks and Goten still asleep?" Hairiyu asked, changing the subject.

"They are." Piccolo nodded not taking his eyes from down below them, too engrossed with watching the scenes play out.

Hairiyu could see she wasn't going to get much out of either of the two and decided to leave them to it. "... I'm gonna get something to eat!"

As she strode through the hallways of the large palace heading for the kitchen, she began to contemplate Mr Satan's actions. The man had always been a fool to her; he'd been more than happy to take credit for things he had not done – including saving the world from Cell. Now here he was actually putting his life on the line for his race; for the people of Earth. Hairiyu'd never thought of him in that light before; she guessed he'd done something similar against Cell but this time it was different. The Champion had no doubt seen the transmissions Babidi had cast through everyone's minds of Buu destroying cities and devouring people, so of course he had to know what sort of threat he was really dealing with. He was aware of the monster's capabilities and knew how fatal he could be if aggravated in any way, yet he chose to act anyway. Sure it wasn't his normal strategy of boasting about his Tenkaichi Budokai Champion status and now being the hero of Earth, but at least for the time being it was keeping Buu occupied. Hopefully he wouldn't be planning to destroy any more towns and cities anytime soon.

She was certain if things had been different, neither she nor Gotenks would have been able to topple the Majin. His powers were too incredible and despite the large increase in her own powers, Hairiyu doubted very much it would make a difference. Perhaps she was underestimating herself... or perhaps she was just making sure she didn't make the same fatal error as Gotenks and charge in overconfidently and recklessly.

Then it popped into her head, causing Hairiyu to stop still in her tracks, jaw gaping a little. It had completely left her mind. How could she have forgotten something as important as this?

Today was supposed to be the day either she or Gotenks fought Buu! Goku'd promised the Majin two days ago he'd be met by an incredible challenge, something of which he reckoned Buu was eager and excited about.

There was a morbid thought floating in her mind; Goku'd almost assured she or Gotenks would die before the rest! Anxious to clean the thoughts from her mind before it affected her stomach, Hairiyu quickly marched into the kitchen, surprised to see Mr Popo directing her into the dining room where she, Gohan and Goku had eaten several years ago just before they started their training in the Room of Spirit and Time...

Mr Popo had laid out a large and delicious-looking breakfast at Hairiyu's request (not that she was aware she'd given him one! Perhaps she'd mentioned it in her half-awake state before she'd headed off to sleep!) Unfortunately now knowing she had to fight Buu today had caused her to lose her appetite! Nerves had set in; her stomach was tight and felt like it was back-flipping inside of her! Despite the discomfort she soldiered on and began to slip small mouthfuls of pancakes into her mouth; a sign she was nervous about something.

"I thought I'd find you in here."

Hairiyu glanced over to see her mother making her way into the room. She looked tired and a little stressed; Hairiyu could see the small but noticeable bags under her eyes.

"Mind if I join you?" Bulma asked.

"Of course you can," Hairiyu nodded, attempting to eat another small mouthful of pancake as her mother sat down beside her, resting her arms on the table staring forwards.

"... I was wondering..." Bulma started, voice sounding a little shaky. "... What happened to your father at the tournament?"

Hairiyu stopped chewing. Of course; she had a feeling her mother would have asked her this sooner or later. Although Goku had already spoken to Bulma about this, Hairiyu assumed she would eventually be asked. It was family. The only thing was did Hairiyu have an obligation to lie and comfort her mother or tell her the truth?

"He killed all those people," Bulma frowned. "... I thought he'd gotten past that insensitive, morbid urge."

Choosing her words carefully, it was a while before Hairiyu spoke, swallowing her mouthful first. "...Dad really wanted to fight Goku. He was willing to push Goku in order to get his way, no matter what."

"... I just wish I knew what was going through his head," Bulma sighed.

Before Hairiyu could even think to comfort her mother with a soothing rub of her back, something big caught her attention almost causing the fork in her hand to fall and clatter back down onto the plate.

Something was coming.

Hairiyu leapt out of her seat and dashed down the corridors, not answering her mother's confused calls as to where she was going. Something bad was here, she could feel it! It was strong and its ki stunk of evil! She'd never felt anything like it! Its speed was incredible and it was closing in rapidly straight for them! She stepped out into the courtyard, eyes widening as she gasped in shock and horror.

Piccolo, Krillin, Yamcha, Dende and Mr Popo were all a little ways away. Opposite them was a tall, lean pink creature.

She wasn't sure but it looked like Buu.

Several questions ran through her mind. Was this really Buu? When had he changed? If it was him then this Buu was a lot slimmer than the fat Buu she'd seen; had he lost weight somehow? The ki radiating from him scared her; it did feel so similar to that of the Buu she knew of but only more evil, more powerful and more merciless.

The Buu-lookalike glanced around, mumbling something Hairiyu couldn't hear properly. Cautiously she took a couple of steps further forward –

"PRODUUUUUCE!"

The sudden bellow startled her whilst the shockwave almost knocked her off her feet! Hurriedly she gathered herself and kept her body tense, unsure what the Buu-lookalike would do.

"P-Produce what?" Piccolo stuttered, Hairiyu moving slightly closer again. There was no doubt about it; that had to be Buu!

"... The ones who will fight me," Buu smiled, "I want to fight them now! I know they're here; the only place with big power."

'_He can sense ki? Dammit, no wonder he found us!'_ Hairiyu gulped, pumping herself up. The boys were still asleep; she was the only fighter here who could possibly stand up to him. Gotenks was tough but nowhere near tough enough to beat this Buu. He wasn't even enough to challenge the fat Buu, let alone this one! She knew she couldn't beat him but she had to try!

"It's true they're here," Piccolo spoke calmly trying to keep control of the situation. "They're resting now to prepare themselves for battle!"

"Wake them!" Buu demanded. "I fight them now!"

"Wait! Let them sleep a little longer, please!" Piccolo pleased. "They're not at full power yet! You want to fight the strongest possible warrior, don't you?"

'_Come on Buu, take the bait...'_ Hairiyu gulped, watching carefully as Buu cracked his neck several times.

"... Nah, I hate to wait!" He muttered.

Piccolo needed back-up; she didn't like the thought of Buu lunging out towards the Namekian who was nowhere near powerful enough to stand up to this monster. She'd rather it was her than him and so took in a deep breath and took a step forward towards the pink monster. "What's a little patience; you can afford it you know!" She growled with a matter-of-fact tone. "Just wait for them Buu; you won't be disappointed!"

Buu stared at Hairiyu for a brief moment before smirking and laughing. "You, I remember you. I beat you up before." He sneered, his dark eyes giving her the creeps. They showed nothing but voids of emptiness and yet they were filled with absolute power and evil.

"Yeah I remember," Hairiyu muttered slightly annoyed she had to admit it, "How about we see what happens this time? I'm not entirely the person you remember!" What was she doing? She couldn't possibly stand up to him the way he was now! She had to help convince Buu to wait for Gotenks to be brought out... Or did she? Gotenks wasn't their best bet right now. It was her. She didn't want to blow her own trumpet but she couldn't deny she had far more experience and currently strength was in her favour.

"Don't get ahead of yourself!" Piccolo interrupted, glaring directly at Hairiyu concerned, "We need to use our heads here! We can still find something else for Buu to do!"

"Something else?" Krillin repeated confused.

'_What's he talking about?'_ Hairiyu raised an eyebrow intrigued and anxious.

"Buu, please wait for them! You still wanted to kill everyone else on Earth, right?" Piccolo asked. "You've left quite a number of them alive! You can fight after you've killed them all!"

"What?" Hairiyu gasped disgusted he would even suggest a thing. Her blood started to boil at the thought of Buu heading down to Earth and killing thousands upon thousands of terrified, helpless victims just to buy them time! "Piccolo what the hell are you-"

"Shut up!" Piccolo bellowed.

A strange smile appeared on Buu's face; it sent shivers down Hairiyu's spine. To hers – and everyone else's – confusion, Buu approached the edge of the floating lookout. There he began to slowly walk, peering over the edge. He seemed to be taking his time which was good; Hairiyu knew the longer Buu took, the more time they were being given to live... or at least the group of them on the lookout were being given more time...

Hairiyu glanced over at Piccolo, a mixture of resent and anxiety on her face. "... You really sure you wanna do this? He's gonna kill all those innocent people, Piccolo."

"If it'll buy us some time then we have no choice," Piccolo retorted grimly, "We can wish them all back to life with the Dragonballs."

Hairiyu scowled silently at the tiles under her feet. She didn't like knowing they were willing to let all those defenceless people be killed by this monster; it stirred a deep and uncomfortable rage inside her. Then again she knew right now there was very little they could do. She wasn't strong enough to take this Buu down, even with her training. Gotenks wasn't strong enough either. Maybe they would have to work together instead of fight him alone.

Piccolo took another quick glance to the girl beside him, "Right now Gotenks may be our best hope but we also need to keep you alive. Don't rashly go jumping in to fight Buu, got it?" He whispered hoarsely.

"...I'll try," Hairiyu growled through gritted teeth. Her stomach was hard and warm, brows crossed over her eyes as she kept them keenly on Buu who was now making his way around the side of the palace. There was something about his actions she didn't quite like. Buu was still wandering around the edge of the lookout, his behaviour and motives lost on everyone who watched. He soon appeared around the other side of the palace, still peering over the ledge.

Just what was he doing? Hairiyu couldn't work it out; surely all he would be able to see were clouds?

Finally the Majin made his way back to the beginning, turning and standing inches from Piccolo, who nervously looked back. Hairiyu almost flinched when one of his long pink arms rose into the sky. Instinct made her raise her guard, as it had done with Piccolo.

A strange smile etched its way onto Buu's face.

A blinding flash of light came from him; bright pink light surrounding Buu's body, channelling up his arm and shooting high into the sky. Shocked, Hairiyu looked up higher into the sky, eyes widening in horror when she saw the single beam splitting into what looked like hundreds of smaller ki blasts, all of which fell down below the lookout...

"No!" Hairiyu screamed, cottoning onto what Buu was doing.

She felt the mayhem and destruction down below as suddenly thousands of tiny ki signals began to vanish in a terrifyingly short space of time. There was nothing she could physically do; there were so many of them and they were dispersed across the planet. Piccolo had told her not to act rash and attack Buu and she'd said she'd try not to. Hairiyu wished she hadn't said that. Her fury was running wild inside of her, doing laps around her body as her blood beat around, head and heart pounding. She struggled; keeping herself glued to the spot was almost unbearable but she knew she had to keep her calm, she had to keep control. If she jumped in she'd play into his hands; she had to stay alive for the sake of the humans and Namekians around her.

The light soon faded, the last energy ball vanishing under the floating palace. Around her Dende had fallen to his knees, Mr Popo supporting him. The silence on the lookout was eerie yet it was one of the noisiest silences Hairiyu'd ever heard. It was if she could hear everyone else's thoughts; she could hear her heart thumping in her ribcage, could feel her blood in her ears.

Buu smiled and lowered his arm, "There, I killed all humans. Now I fight. Bring out my fighter!"

Hairiyu's eyes glanced over to Piccolo; what was he going to do? She was willing to charge Buu with everything she had but she knew he would not allow this. What was his big plan then? He'd gotten what he'd wanted; Buu had now destroyed all human life apart from those upon the lookout, just as Piccolo had suggested. They had only been given around half a minute of extra time and now Buu was demanding his challenge be presented.

"... Fine... We'll get them," Piccolo muttered grimly, "but since they're asleep, please give them time to get ready! Two hours... One hour at least!"

"What's an hour?" Buu asked inquisitively, "How long is it?"

Piccolo held out both his hands; a large egg-timer suddenly materialised and was placed on the ground before Buu. "When all the sand falls into the bottom, an hour will have passed."

Buu squatted and stared at the timer, face screwing up. "No!" He snapped.

"Why not? What's an hour?"

Hairiyu turned surprised to see Videl stepping forward. _'Be careful Videl!'_ She gulped worried.

"Are you afraid, is that it Buu?" The human girl jeered.

Buu stared back at Videl; Hairiyu seeing the aggression in his eyes and getting ready to intervene.

"Loud mouth girl, you die!" Buu spat.

"Wait! That girl is Mr Satan's daughter! Mr Satan's daughter is asking you to wait for an hour!" Piccolo hurriedly pointed over to Videl. "One hour Buu!"

Hairiyu watched cautiously as the tentacle on Buu's head moved forwards creeping her out slightly. She'd only seen it used when Buu had turned someone into food and she didn't like it pointing towards the others!

"... Yes... She smells like Mr Satan..." Buu grumbled frustrated; the tentacle whirring back to its normal position. "... Very well... This Majin Buu will wait one hour. Then he'll kill you all, even Satan's daughter!"

Hairiyu sighed in relief, although she still felt tense and uptight about having Buu here on the lookout! She kept her eyes peeled on Buu, taking them away only when she noticed Piccolo wandering over to Krillin, mumbling something to him. Shortly afterwards the short warrior made his way into the palace.

Cautiously she tiptoed over to Piccolo. "Where's Krillin off to?"

"He's going to wake Goten and Trunks. They're going to spend the hour training in the Room of Spirit and Time; it should give them at least two weeks in which to train and master the fusion," Piccolo explained in a hushed voice. "I think it's wise to follow Goku's instincts; he seemed to believe the fusion was the best chance at beating Buu... although I'm not so sure at this level..."

"Yeah, he's gotten a lot stronger," Hairiyu glanced back at Buu briefly. Another wave of anguish hit her though this time it was about her -her own failings to be more precise. "... Sorry Piccolo. At this level I can't beat him. He's stronger than I am..."

"Don't discount yourself yet," Piccolo muttered, "Strength isn't everything; you should know that by now."

"Yeah but..." Hairiyu pouted disheartened. "... I know when I'm beaten."

Piccolo didn't say anything for a while and when he did it wasn't to console her. "...Krillin should have woken the boys up by now; they need to be brought up to speed."

Hairiyu nodded and followed Piccolo up into the palace, up a flight of stairs and into a large domed room. Indeed Krillin had managed to wake the boys and as she expected, Trunks wasn't in the best of moods!

It didn't take long for the duo to notice the extra person down below.

"That's Buu?" Trunks asked uncertain.

"Wow, he did change!" Goten raised his eyebrows surprised.

"This Buu is more powerful than the previous one," Piccolo explained. "Get yourselves into the Room of Spirit and Time. Every minute inside the chamber will be about six hours, so-"

"Hey look, it's mum!" Goten exclaimed butting into the Namekian's orders.

"What?" Both Piccolo and Hairiyu gasped in unison. Hairiyu rushed over to peer over the ledge. Chichi was making her way towards Buu; she looked angry and uptight judging by the way she marched up towards the fighter, fists clenched and that stern glare upon her face. Hairiyu couldn't shake off a feeling of dread, heat almost stopping with sheer horror and amazement as Chichi slapped Buu clean around the head! The move shocked Hairiyu; surely Buu wasn't going to let her get away with that?

"You jerk! Do you even care that you killed my son?" Chichi bellowed.

'_Chichi run, get away from him!'_ Hairiyu gulped anxious.

Nothing happened; Buu remained silent, he didn't even acknowledge her, or rather not immediately. His eyes glared at the human woman.

"You're an egg."

The tentacle shot forwards, a bright pink light extended from it and engulfed Chichi, diminishing in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, all that remained in Chichi's place was an egg. Buu stood up.

His foot slammed down hard, crushing the egg into pieces.

Hairiyu's jaw dropped; Chichi's ki vanished the instant Buu made contact. All that remained were fragments of shell and the splattered mixture of yolk and egg-white. She heard Goten's gasp of horror. To everyone's concern Goten started to clamber over the ledge of the spacious room determined to find some sort of revenge for his mother's murder, only stopped by Piccolo's stern voice as the Namekian barked at him about the fusion relying on him to stay alive.

She could imagine the feelings going through the young boy's mind; she'd felt them so long ago when Raditz had snapped her mother's neck in front of her. If he went down there now he'd be killed; the fusion wouldn't happen!

"Your mother can be brought back to life with the Dragonballs but only if you master fusion and beat Buu! Train now or wish her goodbye!" Piccolo roared fiercely.

The distraught boy slowly brought himself back onto the tiled floor, Trunks trying to console him.

Hairiyu glanced down at Buu, an air of disgust and anger in her stare as he perched himself back in front of the hourglass, waiting as time slowly whittled past. They had less than one hour left.


	94. Chapter 093

**Chapter 093 – The Hour**

Trunks and Goten had been in the Room of Spirit and Time for half an hour now and for the time being Buu was keeping himself occupied watching the sand drop from the top half to the bottom half of the egg timer. The tense silence on the lookout was unbearable as if some invisible force was pushing down on everyone. Chichi's remains still lay close to Buu; a clear reminder for all those almost held hostage on the lookout that this monster would not tolerate any of them if provoked. Not even the daughter of the World Champion Mr Satan would keep Buu at bay forever.

Nearby to the Majin, Piccolo and Hairiyu stood keeping a close eye on him muttering amongst themselves quietly. It had been half an hour; they were half-way there but to Hairiyu it felt as if she'd already waited for an eternity. Knowing the enemy was right in front of them was incredibly daunting but part of her was still itching to charge him. He'd killed everyone down below, he'd killed Chichi. He'd killed her father and Gohan. He had to be beaten so they could restore the planet back to normal!

"... Half an hour to go..." Piccolo spoke quietly and grimly, Hairiyu nodding silently.

Right now, she, Piccolo and Krillin were the only older fighters here who still trained. Krillin was only human and despite his impressive array of attacks he could not compare to Buu. Piccolo was Namekian but Hairiyu feared even he would be outclassed by Buu. It was up to her and the two boys to beat Buu. All three of them were Saiyan-human hybrids; something that granted them unusual strength and capabilities. She didn't like the idea of leaving it up to the younger boys; that left just her as the one who had to beat Buu.

That was a daunting feat, one she felt she couldn't achieve even with her training in the Room of Spirit and Time. It made her nervous but she knew she had to do it; everyone needed her right now.

"Excuse me?"

Both Hairiyu and Piccolo turned to see Videl approaching them. "Buu seemed to know my father. Do you know why?" She asked uncertain.

"Simple," Piccolo responded, "Mr Satan is the only human Buu has ever made friends with and trusted. While we have been trying to overpower him with strength, your dad instead chose to befriend Buu."

"What?" Videl gasped.

"If you want proof then Buu has just wiped out all of humanity but he has left your father alive," Piccolo added. "Even after becoming this monster of destruction, some memories do remain."

"... I can sense him," Hairiyu mumbled only just realising the man was still alive! "His ki is the only one down there... Apart from two others. Maybe it's Tenshinhan and Chaozu?"

Piccolo ignored her mumblings and continued to speak to Videl, "Your father may not have the strength that he claims but he truly does deserve the title Champion of Earth."

"... My dad...?" Videl asked, looking a little unsure.

"Guess he's gotta be given some credit for trying," Hairiyu was just as sceptical but the fact was the man was still alive. It seemed there was some truth to Piccolo's words.

None of them had noticed the ever increasing irate look on Buu's face as he'd grown impatient with the sand falling. His anger was quick to boil to the surface and with a grunt he threw himself up straight and screamed: "NO MORE WAITING!"

A powerful gust almost knocked Hairiyu straight into Videl almost knocking the poor girl over! She turned; Buu had risen and was expelling an incredible amount of his energy in rage. Hairiyu bared it, grasping onto Videl's arms in an attempt to keep her on her feet. Through it all she stood defiantly, thoughts racing through her mind. What was he up to?

"I'm tired of waiting!" Buu snarled. With a strong swish of his arm he smashed the hour glass to pieces scattering glass and sand across the floor.

"W-Wait, it's only been half an hour!" Piccolo cried frantically. "Just hold on a little longer! Please Buu!"

Buu's face calmed so slightly as he held out a hand aiming straight for Piccolo. His ki started to rise.

Hairiyu gasped, "Don't!"

The ground shook violently at her feet as Buu fired his attack, terrified Piccolo had just been hit. She opened her eyes and was relieved to see her mentor still before her. There was a large hole in the lookout before his feet; a warning signal. Buu had had enough. Hairiyu felt her body shudder with anticipation and adrenaline. Something drastic was about to happen.

"I fight now!" Buu demanded, his face burrowing in another bout of rage. "COME OUT!" He screamed, again releasing another torrent of power. The lookout trembled under the force; rattling the trees and the foundations of the palace.

Hairiyu peered over at Piccolo through all the commotion. Things were desperate and she had to do something before everything they knew and loved were destroyed. The weaker humans wouldn't be able to stand up to this much longer; her mother was one of them! "... I'm sorry Piccolo; it's now or never!" She spoke loudly.

"Don't be a fool!" Piccolo yelled over the howling gales. "You won't be able to beat him!"

Hairiyu kept her eyes peeled; spotting the tiles before Buu slowly breaking under the pressure, tunnelling across the ground straight for the trio!

The boys weren't ready; Buu couldn't fight them now! With this in mind Hairiyu began to power up an energy ball in both her hands, jumping into the sky to avoid the oncoming rubble. With a battle roar she bolted forwards towards Buu, throwing the blasts forwards. Each one struck its target, Buu's loud yells overpowered by the explosions as he was engulfed in light and dust.

Piccolo had grabbed Videl and both had avoided the oncoming attack; a quick glance back to her former mentor and she jolted back up to the sky, powering up as fast as she could. The electrical aura and yellow flash surrounded her body as she transformed straight into a Super Saiyan 2.

Buu emerged unscathed as expected; his sight still set straight ahead of him. The screaming and powering up had stopped and there was an eerie glare on his face. Hairiyu descended to the lookout floor, standing between Buu and the others. "I'll try to last the thirty minutes," She muttered. "Piccolo keep everyone else back!"

"Are you sure you can last that long?" Piccolo asked, placing Videl on her feet; the girl slowly backing off.

"... I'll try," Hairiyu answered unconvinced. "We need to get Trunks and Goten all the time we can give them; I'll fight Buu; just keep everyone else at a safe distance!"

After a moment Piccolo slowly stepped back, giving a small nod.

Buu stood before her, still staring straight ahead.

'_I can't beat you Buu but I've gotta try!'_

With adrenaline raging through her body Hairiyu charged forwards, spinning and throwing her leg back to Buu's face. With a terrific loud clap, Buu's head was knocked to the side; the elasticised properties of his body stretching his back to an unnatural length as the rest of his body followed suit. He twisted in the air before coming to a stop, face indifferent as Hairiyu closed in with a fist, striking him clean between the eyes in midair causing a small grimace of annoyance to come over Buu's face. In a flash Hairiyu's knee connected with his, moves blurring as the fighters began to duel rapidly. She kept up with him, blocking his attacks which she noticed were a lot stronger than the previous Buu's moves. That was to be expected; this Buu seemed more capable of fighting compared to the other Buu. He was definitely far stronger than his fat counterpart but Hairiyu was stronger too. His fighting style was similar to when she'd fought him before; this was something Hairiyu was thankful for. She knew of his capabilities; she just had to stay on guard as best she could.

With a clash both fighters shot backwards; Hairiyu halting in mid air, rubbing her sore cheek. From the feel of it Buu's strike had just chipped a tooth; she could feel and taste the iron in her mouth and grimaced. She was bleeding and the inside of her mouth was now throbbing.

Buu seemed unharmed.

Hairiyu spat her gathering blood out and wiped her chin, eyes kept on Buu. She almost missed his movement. Hurriedly she ducked under Buu's fist, jaw cracking loudly as something else struck her sending her shooting backwards.

A kick? When had that happened? She could hear her mother screaming; she had to keep going. Hairiyu stopped herself, again dodging Buu's punch, tossing an open palm into his face forcefully. The blow did little to Buu; Hairiyu couldn't see anything as Buu's hand closed in on her, grabbing her by the face. Instinct kicked in and she began to fire off ki blasts, continuously striking Buu in the stomach and showering the area in a bright yellow light. Hairiyu wasn't sure if her attacks were having any effect; all she knew was she had to release herself from Buu's grip! On and on she kept blasting him with her energy.

Buu's grip loosened; Hairiyu fired one last blast and dashed backwards to what she thought was a safe distance, watching the large cloud of smoke as it billowed around, slowly dispersing. Inside she was pleased with herself; she hadn't been able to last this well against fat Buu and here she was doing an alright job against the better Buu. She was glad she'd gone into the time chamber for more training.

The dust cleared; Buu was still very much alive. His body was lined with dozens of holes, looking rather like Swiss cheese. Hairiyu smiled to herself, _'Good, that ought to give him something to think about!'_

Buu's body began to judder; the holes rapidly closing up.

Seizing her chance Hairiyu dived forwards, delivering a strike to Buu's stomach. She was suddenly shooting down towards the ground; with a couple of flips she landed heavily on her feet, cracking the tiles below her. Confusion hit her; what had happened? She suddenly glanced up and jumped backwards across the lookout floor; Buu's feet narrowly missing her as he stomped through the floor, vanishing.

Hairiyu stayed off the floor, deciding to make a dash for the sky.

A crash from somewhere below caught her ear; she was too slow as Buu's hand grabbed her ankle yanking Hairiyu straight through the floor and below. Suddenly she was being tossed through what felt like an endless supply of wall, her body crashing through solid building with incredible force. Amongst the endless onslaught she felt her body be flipped, falling face-first into one of the hardest objects she'd come across so far. Pain was all she felt, seemingly centring around her face, continuing to be struck all over. She felt air cooling her skin and her hair brushing against her cheek, striking something hard once more with a heavy thud.

It was only then Hairiyu realised just how much her body was stinging. She could feel blood dripping from her nose down her chin, she could feel her heart pounding in her rib cage threatening to burst free, her breathing shallow. The voices of those nearby sounded concerned and jittery. Hairiyu slowly opened her eyes and managed to sit up, realising Buu was standing before her. Indeed she'd taken a good few injuries, noticing the scratches on her arms and knees.

"You're not the fighter I was promised," the monster muttered disappointed. "I want my real fighter! Where is he?"

"Piccolo!" Hairiyu yelled before the Namekian could speak. She got to her feet and put up her guard, noticing how shaky she was. "I'm your opponent right now Buu!" She spat defiantly.

Buu grimaced and stared down at Hairiyu. "I've beaten you before."

"You'll just have to beat me again!" Hairiyu replied calmly. "I'm your first opponent. There's another one but only if you beat me."

There was that hint of annoyance again. In a flurry of movement Buu had gone on the attack, Hairiyu countering with her own offensive. The fighters were once again locked in rapid movements. Hairiyu could feel herself straining, body joints and muscles ached from the onslaught she'd just been put through. A slap in the cheek sent her tumbling to the side, tripping and falling to her knees. She quickly righted herself, pushing against the ground and charging back towards Buu. A flash of pink left Buu's mouth. Hairiyu had little time to react; arms extended out, the beam slamming into them, slowly forcing her across the tiles. Hairiyu struggled, concentrating her strength to her limbs.

The palace and the others were behind her, she couldn't let go!

With a howl Hairiyu began to gather more ki to her hands, gripping the ball and tossing it above her head, hundreds of metres above the lookout. The ball of ki boomeranged back towards them, Hairiyu realising it was heading straight back for them. This was bad, now everyone would be caught in the explosion when the blast would hit! The Super Saiyan 2's hand shot up as she screamed. In the same instant the ki ball exploded; destroyed by her kiai. Several scared screams reverberated from behind as the lookout violently shook, struck by the harsh shockwaves from the explosion of light.

Hairiyu's glance turned back to Buu, breath hitching in her throat as her eyes widened with alarm. Everything went dark; something clasping tightly around her face. She was pushed off her feet, shooting once more through the air at the mercy of Buu's elasticised arm. Her scream was muffled as she felt herself be thrown skywards. There was a shudder and crack as the lookout struck her; Hairiyu barely heard or felt anything.

For a moment nothing happened. She couldn't feel, hear, or see. Everything was silent and calm. Pain slowly seeped back in, as did sound.

Hairiyu realised she was face-down on the floor, buried in tile fragments. Her whole body pounded, her heart thumping in her throat. Nothing seemed to want to move. She felt tired, having to inhale painful gulps of air. She possibly had a broken rib but she wasn't sure.

'_Get up...'_

Her body was sluggish and barely responded. Hairiyu managed to sit herself up, glancing over her shoulder. Piccolo had approached Buu and seemed to be talking to the Majin.

'_The boys!'_

Panicked Hairiyu stumbled to her feet, stumbling to the left. "N-No! I'm not done yet!" She yelled through a horse voice which surprised her. Had she really taken that much damage? Her fringe was dark and down before her eyes; she'd reverted back to her normal state. This was bad; she didn't know if she'd be able to last much longer against the monster but she had no choice. She needed to help Goten and Trunks buy time to train. She wouldn't let her loss of power put her off from doing what she knew she needed to do, even if it cost her own life.

A stunned Piccolo had his eyes on her; Buu indifferent to her.

Hairiyu grinned in an attempt to hide her pain and suffering and began to walk forwards with a stumble at first, quickly breaking into a run before dashing off the ground straight for Buu, transforming to a Super Saiyan. "Like I said you're gonna have to beat me first!" She bellowed. Her body cried out for rest and to stop but her mind told her otherwise. She was on a surge of adrenaline and would make the most of it before it faded. She slammed head-first into Buu's stomach; surprisingly knocking him over the edge of the lookout!

The tired girl landed feet in front of Piccolo, short on breath and wincing slightly as pain shot up her arm.

"Don't overdo this; remember we need to keep you alive!" Piccolo warned. "Can you really last against him much longer?"

"I'm gonna have to," Hairiyu replied with a grin, though she quickly hissed through gritted teeth as the pain intensified, reaching into her torso throbbing as if there was a nerve problem; the pain sharp and almost crippling her.

Piccolo saw through the confident smile and could see the pain, no matter how hard she was trying to hide it. "Don't be so rash – this isn't like you! The boys have already had a week – maybe even more than a week now – to master the fusion!"

"I said I'd try to last thirty minutes to give them some more time didn't I?" Hairiyu retorted looking directly at her former mentor, fire burning in her eyes. "I can still fight; I'm gonna fight! Those two boys weren't the only ones training to beat Buu you know – I was too!"

Buu had long since corrected himself. He smiled and suddenly started to bend his body up into a ball.

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow. _'... What's he doing? That's gotta be painful!'_

With a high-pitched squeal Buu shot forwards.

She saw him coming, she knew she had to dodge. Hairiyu's body responded – not quick enough. Buu struck her clean in the face, sending her shooting across the lookout tiles. Her mind was as keen as ever but her body was sluggish; Hairiyu crashed onto her back and skidded across the floor. The landing was rough but did not keep her down for long. Determined to buy as much time as she could and defying her body's screams to stay limp, Hairiyu rose to her feet, hunched over.

Another strike from behind to her left shoulder-blade pushed her violently forwards. Nose struck the tiles with a crack as she landed face-first, crying out in pain. Buu slammed into her hip, sending Hairiyu tumbling and rolling across the ground. In the flurry she regained her control and pushed off with two strong arms, narrowly dodging yet another strike as she bolted into the sky. Her hand touched her nose, flinching at the overwhelming pain. A broken nose?

Buu was shooting straight for her. Hairiyu dodged, keeping the monster in her sights. Her vision darkened for a brief moment, her body fell limp as her ki started to drain away. Confused and bewildered Hairiyu brought herself back with all of her might.

Buu connected with her stomach, goring the Super Saiyan through the air. Hairiyu screamed as she slammed through one of the palace walls...


	95. Chapter 094

**Chapter 094 – Faded Hope**

The cool air slowly drifted across her cheeks brushing strands of hair lightly across her skin. She lay amongst the rubble of whatever she'd last hit – or what she assumed she'd last hit; who knew what else she'd struck after she'd lost consciousness. Her senses came and went; from all the confusion and cluelessness she soon came to the conclusion she was alone. It was quiet around her... too quiet.

Where were the others? Were they alright? Had Buu hurt them?

Hairiyu's eyes gradually opened, she struggled to widen them enough to see properly but her consciousness broke through the bouts of uncertainty and exhaustion. She was battered and bruised but still felt very much alive. Her body throbbed, limbs felt as if they were made of stone and almost impossible to move. Maybe reluctant was a better word for it. Rubble sat on top of her weighing down on her heavily, adding to the lessening chance of her being able to break free. For a while she lay there drifting back and forth into thoughts and reality. Her senses were out of touch with the real world enough for her not to be able to sense anyone properly; it all felt blurry and indistinguishable.

The boys.

She had to get up and fight to buy her little brother and Goten some time. The two were hurriedly training inside the Room of Spirit and Time and would not be ready for Buu! Her mind willed her body onwards. She wasn't sure how she managed it but somehow Hairiyu rose to her feet, stumbling due to lack of energy and balance as well as the unstable rubble under her feet. It felt like a dream as her body twisted and turned through the rubble, somehow finding its second wind and finding its way free. She had to give herself credit; she'd assumed she'd be stuck to the floor but apparently not!

"Hairiyu!"

The cry had come from somewhere up ahead and was muffled to her ears. Hairiyu began to wander forwards, tripping over her own feet. Her arms reacted on instinct as she threw them before her, landing on her hands and knees in a determined bid to stay mobile and conscious. The sound of several footsteps started to echo closer and closer to her. She couldn't tell what direction they were coming from, her thoughts were starting to take over from her senses once more and she was struck with another bout of uncertainty of what was real and what was her thoughts.

"There she is!"

Hairiyu couldn't find the energy to look up; it took more or less everything to keep herself this far off the ground! She saw some feet out of the corner of her eye.

"Try to relax; I'll heal you right up." Dende knelt down beside her. Hairiyu resigned herself to her body's wishes; her arms buckled from underneath her, she hit the ground and lay there unmoving save to breathe. Her body was exhausted.

"Hairiyu!" She recognised this voice. It was her mother.

"... Mama... it's ok..." Hairiyu mumbled; she had to relax and let Dende do his job. She was in no position to protest and felt as if she was going to pass out. The strange feeling began to wash over her, filling her with a vitalising energy and refreshing her body in a pale green light. After a moment the feeling vanished. The pain vanished. The need to rest vanished. Hairiyu rose to her feet and wiped her brow, "Thanks Dende; I dunno what I'd do without yo..." Her head spun around worried as she scanned the scene before her. "Where's Buu?" She asked alarmed to see the Majin was not present. The palace around her lay in a heap of rubble; one of the side walls had collapsed from her fight and now lay amongst her, the cause of all the rubble that had fallen upon her.

"Piccolo took him to the boys," Dende answered frowning slightly. "He took the long route to give them more time to prepare."

Hairiyu growled in annoyance and shame. She hadn't been able to do what she'd wanted, she hadn't been able to hold Buu off. She hadn't even been able to last the full half an hour as she'd tried so hard to do. What's more she'd suffered a defeat in front of people who were depending on her. Feeling she'd let them down and scared them made her feel ashamed, especially since her mother had been watching. One of their hopes had been defeated; now it was up to Gotenks to restore confidence. That was a thought that did not sit well with Hairiyu. The boy was far too unpredictable and overconfident.

"Are you sure you're alright? Dende did finish healing you properly, didn't he?" Bulma asked dotingly, closely examining her daughter.

"Dende did an awesome job as usual; I feel fine mama," Hairiyu replied trying to calm her mother down, feeling a little uncomfortable with her checking her over.

"How could you fight that monster? I was worried about you!" Bulma protested, a small glint of moisture forming in her eyes. "You should have stopped when you were down; you gave the boys more time than they were going to be given anyway! You're so stubborn!"

Hairiyu couldn't help but smile, "Sorry about that... I wasn't just doing it for Trunks and Goten though. I wanted to see how I compared to him; we'd both changed since the last time we fought. I guess I got carried away in the moment."

Bulma looked at her daughter, smiling and closing her eyes in a small shake of her head. "... I know you have a lot of influence from your dad, Piccolo and Goku but just remember there are people who'd rather you stayed alive."

"Sorry mama," Hairiyu apologised. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

As the trio wandered down the halls back to the courtyard, Hairiyu consumed herself in her thoughts once more. Piccolo had taken Buu into the Room of Spirit and Time from the feel of things; she couldn't sense the boys, Piccolo, or Buu's ki signals. That didn't sit too well in her either but hopefully that meant Piccolo had a plan.

Suddenly there was a terrific shudder, shaking the whole lookout.

"What was that?" Bulma screamed startled. They were quickly joined by most of the others who came rushing into the main entrance despite the tremors shaking the floor below them.

"The room has been sealed off!" Mr Popo cried.

"What? How?" Hairiyu demanded frenetically, almost grabbing hold of the guardian aide. Her little brother was inside that room!

"Piccolo must have destroyed it," Master Roshi spoke diligently, a hint of graveness in his voice. "Buu must have been too much for the boys, giving Piccolo no choice but to destroy the only way back into this dimension."

"What about Goten and Trunks?" Bulma demanded.

Hairiyu swallowed down a stubborn lump in her throat and looked down; she already knew the answer to that. Buu had either killed them or was going to. That was her little brother in there, now trapped with Buu. She hated it; the poor boy was only eight years old; Goten was seven. They shouldn't have been forced into this situation by Piccolo – she could have joined the fight with Gotenks and the two could have tried to have taken Buu on together!

"Are you even hearing what you're saying?" Bulma was yelling, "You're saying they'll either be murdered by their own mentor or by that monster? They're just children; death is terrifying to them! They shouldn't have been relied on to beat Buu! I hope you're all ashamed!" The fury was evident as she tutted and turned on her heels, tightly folding her arms in bitterness and sorrow.

"... We can still bring them back to life with the Dragonballs," Krillin spoke meekly, his suggestion did not make the blue-haired heiress turn back to face them. "...I'm sorry Bulma."

Hairiyu placed a supportive hand on her mother's shoulder; Bulma breathing out a disheartened sigh and placing her hand on her daughter's.

"Trunks helped to save the world from Buu," Hairiyu mumbled. "If we can hurry and gather the Dragonballs, maybe we can wish Trunks, Goten and Piccolo back to this dimension. I know it's a long shot but there's a chance they may still be alive; we can just wish them across the dimensions back to us."

"Be realistic; a minute outside is six hours inside," Master Roshi frowned grimly, "I doubt Buu will leave them alive for that long..."

Hairiyu glanced down to the floor and clamped her eyes shut. It was slowly sinking in that her brother was most likely dead, stirring emotions within her. She didn't want to believe it, she couldn't! She was his big sister, she should have been the one to have died fighting Buu whilst he lived, not the other way around! What kind of big sister was she? She'd failed to protect her younger brother from that monster and now it was too late.

Suddenly the lookout shuddered again; Hairiyu's eyes shooting open as she stood baffled by the strange energy she could feel.

"What was that sound?" Krillin asked wearily.

Unsure what was going on, she and Krillin dashed outside leaving the others to watch whilst keeping hidden. Neither warrior liked what they were sensing.

What was before them left the two of them speechless: a strange hole hovered in the air. It lay suspended in the air before them! Hairiyu had never seen anything like it; whatever it was on the other side was pure white.

Something shot out; something long and pink.

"NO!" Hairiyu gasped loudly; that easily recognisable ki bolting straight into her mind. _'Buu!'_

His body spun and twisted, warped somehow. It struck the ground, forming into a puddle of goo, slowly moving across the ground as the hole closed.

"What is that?" Bulma asked nervously from the sidelines.

"It's Buu!" Yamcha gasped.

The puddle continued to crawl across the ground, spewing over and rippling as Buu started to form back into his physical self.

"Gross," Videl was heard groaning with disgust.

Buu's head popped out of the puddle. Slowly his body rose and grew, quickly towering before the shaken group. None of those remaining knew what to say or do as the Majin appeared before them, cricking his neck several times as his eyes fell upon them.

'_Piccolo; what happened?'_ Hairiyu glared at Buu, baffled as to why he was standing before them. _'How is it possible Buu got out alive? What happened in there?'_

Buu smiled eagerly, seemingly amused by his foes' looks of shock.

"You bully! What have you done with Trunks and Goten?" Bulma bellowed.

"Mama, step back!" Hairiyu ordered, taking a couple of steps forward. She was the only one left. Piccolo was gone; Trunks and Goten were gone. Yamcha didn't fight; Krillin and Eighteen were in no shape to fight a monster of this magnitude. Not even Hairiyu could beat Buu; that had already been painfully proven.

"No more talk; I've heard too much of that!" Buu chuckled. "How about we eat? What shall it be... chocolate! What kind...?"

Hairiyu took another step forwards about to futilely charge the Majin once again; something grabbed hold of the back of her shirt. Bewildered she glanced over her shoulder.

Krillin had grabbed her. The short warrior had a look of grave concern upon his face but a flicker of determination lay amongst the greater worry etched across his face. "...Hold on a minute, I might just have a plan." He whispered quietly so as Buu would not hear.

"Milk chocolate, filled with cherries... no... How about dark...?" Buu paid no mind to the others as he listed off the kinds of foods he could think of, uttering over which kind he was going to turn the group into.

"What are you thinking?" Hairiyu asked quietly as Buu continued to ramble on. "We can't beat Buu!"

"Yeah... I know," Krillin nodded. "... The only one who now has a chance is you, Hairiyu!"

Hairiyu frowned unconvinced as the battle she'd just scraped out alive from popped back into her head. "... Even with Super Saiyan 2 I can't beat him. I know escaping that last battle would also have brought my power level up but even so, I don't think it'll be enough."

Krillin seemed a little infuriated by her lack of willingness."Are you saying you're just gonna stand here and let Buu kill everyone we care about?"

"No." Hairiyu hissed.

"Then let's give it one last shot, even if the result will end the same."

"... Right, I'm in," Hairiyu nodded. Krillin was right. She would never forgive herself if she let everyone die without even trying. She was a warrior; her father had trained her to be a Saiyan warrior. She had her pride as a fighter but she also cared enough to want to sacrifice herself for her friends and mother if it meant she could buy them some time. No one else was here to help them; this monster had killed them all but at least they'd died fighting rather than fleeing. She wasn't about to let them down.

As Krillin instructed Eighteen to get everyone inside the palace, Hairiyu psyched herself up. She had to do this; she had to somehow find a way to beat him! She was glad Krillin was here; even if he was one of the weaker fighters knowing she had help made her feel calmer. Krillin had been like an uncle to her; he'd fought and protected her during the fights with the Saiyans and on Namek. It had been a while since they'd gone into battle together so it felt nostalgic.

"Krillin!" Eighteen screamed.

"GO!"

Hairiyu bolted forwards alongside the veteran warrior, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she transformed into a Super Saiyan 2, charging Buu head-on. This was it, this was potentially it and she was going to go down swinging. Both fighters closed in on Buu who'd noticed them but had chosen to stay standing. Krillin flipping over Buu, rebounding off the floor and diving forwards with one fist drawn back ready to be fired out.

The pink monster dodged Krillin with ease; Hairiyu's eyes and reflexes far sharper than those of the human fighter's. Buu had lined both of them up before him. Antenna shot forwards; Hairiyu dived to the side as a bolt of energy burst free. Krillin was swallowed up in the bright pink light.

"Krillin!" Hairiyu shrieked.

Where Krillin had been was now a bar of dark chocolate, falling and hitting the ground with a light bounce. Buu landed metres from him, a grin on his face as he eyed the bar up feverishly.

Hairiyu clenched her fists, nails digging into her flesh, her body trembling as she tried to remain composed and control herself. Buu's antenna extended down to the ground, picking the chocolate from the floor, an eager anticipation upon his face.

"Put him down!" Hairiyu screamed furiously. She pushed off the tiled floor at Buu, desperate to get Krillin free. Krillin was the last main fighter; she didn't want to lose him! Her fist connected with Buu's cheek, knocking him back through the air. The chocolate was dropped; the antenna wrapping itself around Hairiyu's wrist instead and dragging her along with him. Hairiyu's body was under strain from the force of which she was being thrown, she held on for the right moment, determined to get it spot-on. For Piccolo, for her brother and Goten, for Krillin; she was going to give it her all against Buu.

Buu's tentacle unwrapped as he readied his toss – Hairiyu's fingers clasped the end of the antenna as tightly as they could. With all her might she brought her hand down, nullifying the force on her own body and sending it straight back to Buu. The monster was thrown down in front of her, shooting towards the ground like a meteorite.

She wasn't finished yet. Hairiyu brought both her hands above her head, charging her ki higher and higher. The fighter began an onslaught of energy blasts, continuing to fire off attack after attack. Her blasts were striking the ground far below, dust visible even from this height. She could sense Buu's ki falling and kept on going, determined to hurt him as much as she could.

She hadn't noticed the small clouds of smoke rising around her.

Up above, the cloud began to form, taking shape into an almost humanoid form. Slowly but surely Buu was coming back.

Hairiyu was too busy to notice Buu; her rage had gotten to her; she was so determined to make Buu pay, to make him hurt for what he'd done to her little brother. Trunks was gone; her little brother was gone. She'd promised her father she'd protect him and her mother; she hadn't been able to keep her promise because of Buu! How had it come down to this? None of this was right! Everyone was dying!

A sharp blow to her head knocked everything out of her mind; Hairiyu found herself tumbling forwards-

Pain shot through her stomach; Hairiyu's scream cut off as the oxygen was forced from her lungs. Something was rapidly getting hotter. Her vision was filled with pink light, her voice loud as Buu's blast pushed her through the air; body burning and seared under the intense heat. The beam exploded, rocking all her senses. She was barely able to tell she was falling, unsure at times of what direction she was heading in or if she was even moving.

Buu wasn't finished. A tentacle wrapped around her throat, choking her of much needed air. Hairiyu struggled but to no avail, barely able to make any noise as Buu reined her back in. A sharp strike to her face knocked her further back through the air, caught and reined back in. Buu continued to punch and kick the suffocating girl; Hairiyu's vision fading with every second she was deprived of air, every hit Buu dealt whittled at her energy.

With a large swing Buu tossed Hairiyu clean out of the sky. She began to freefall, barely conscious. What was going on? How had it come down to this? Hairiyu didn't understand... It never ended out like this. Every time a villain had appeared someone had come along to beat them. No one was here but her; she was losing. She was the last one, the only one left. Was it her? Was it because it was her here and not Goku or Gohan that the world was doomed?

She noticed a bolt of pink light shooting towards her, still falling through the sky.

No. It couldn't end this way.

It dawned on her what that light was. She couldn't let that beam hit her; if it did the entire universe was done for. She had to keep fighting, she had to survive; the universe needed her alive! The beam closed in on her; body not changing direction, not responding to her mind's urgent demands.

She couldn't dodge.

Hairiyu's eyes widened and she screamed.


	96. Chapter 095

**Chapter 095 – From Out of Nowhere**

Piccolo and Gotenks had eventually gotten out of the Room of Spirit and Time; Gotenks' ki on a whole new level. No one but Piccolo, Buu and those watching on Kaioshin's home planet knew he was now a Super Saiyan 3.

Hairiyu had no clue.

It had happened so fast she almost couldn't believe it. She'd been incredibly lucky. The blast that had come so close to turning her into chocolate or sweets - or whatever Buu was planning to turn her into - had been heading dead-on for her. With all of the little strength she had left she'd ripped out a single strand of hair in the hopes that the beam would hit it before her. The hair had brushed past the beam but still it chased her down; in desperation she'd then forced an energy barrier around herself which had succeeded; the beam struck and thankfully turned the barrier only into chocolate. Unfortunately the shock had left her exhausted and she'd fallen to the ground unable to stop herself, trapped inside the now chocolate barrier until it smashed upon the ground.

What was even luckier was Dende had found her. The Namekian had come to her aid and had once again healed her.

The grim news about the fate of everyone on the lookout had been the catalyst that tipped her over the edge. Hairiyu broke down, unable to contain it inside anymore. She couldn't take it; she'd utterly failed to protect both her brother and her mother from this monster, letting her late father down. Everyone but herself and Dende had been killed by Buu.

Losing her mother had to be one of the most painful experiences the eighteen-year-old had gone through; even some of the horrible injuries she'd endured in battles fought long ago felt like nothing compared to this. Her mother had been the driving force of her wanting to train originally, had been the driving force of her surviving in the wilderness and enduring Piccolo's regimented training for the battle against the Saiyans. She'd fought against Freeza and his men and then against the Androids with one of her many goals to protect her mother from harm. Never again had she wanted to feel the way she had when Bulma'd attempted to shield her daughter from Raditz; she felt utterly helpless and awful. Not even her resolve had been enough to protect her and now she was dead like the rest of them. The Dragonballs were now their only hope but Hairiyu didn't know where the radar was – if it still existed at all...

She'd risen to her feet determined to face Buu again; it had taken everything Dende had to calm her down and get her to stay. It had been a hard and painful reality for the Saiyan-Human fighter to swallow. Dende was in need of protection right now and he was all she had left. Sensing Piccolo and Gotenks as they left the Room of Spirit and Time, Hairiyu and Dende fled the area deciding it was best to keep the guardian of Earth safe and hidden. They needed to keep Dende alive; without him there were no Dragonballs. She was relieved her brother, mentor, and brother's best friend were all alive.

Sadly so was Buu.

The battle seemed to wage on for quite some time; Gotenks' ki unbelievably high yet Buu's ki seemed stubborn and resistant.

"It's amazing..." Hairiyu mumbled as the two trekked through the vast forests below the lookout and Korin Tower. There were no animals around them, not even any insects to speak of. Hairiyu assumed this was either because the animals could sense the danger and had fled, or there simply were no more animals on the planet to find. She kept an eager eye on Gotenks' and Buu's powers as the two battled it out a fair distance from them though not too far away. "Gotenks' really got stronger in a hurry! Trunks and Goten must have given it their all." She mused.

"They were given all that time thanks to Piccolo and you," Dende smiled cautiously following the girl through the woods making sure not to be ensnared by any tree roots poking out of the dirt..

"I guess so..." Hairiyu nodded, silently thanking Dende for the little boost in confidence, not that she felt she deserved it. Right now she felt as if nothing she'd done had helped; she hadn't been able to prevent any deaths. At least now she felt she had one positive thing to say about herself... not that it felt like much right now.

Gotenks' fight started to go in Buu's favour. The horrific plummet in the fusion's ki scared Hairiyu. This was bad, once again Buu seemed to have the advantage and Gotenks was losing his ki fast! No, it didn't even feel like Gotenks anymore; there were two separate ki and both she recognised all too well! Instinct kicked in and she spun on her heels "Dende I'm sorry, I've gotta go!"

Dende gasped with horror, "Wait, think about this! If you charge in now it's over!" He called frantically trying to catch up with the girl.

"If I don't then Goten, Trunks and Piccolo are dead!" Hairiyu cried. She wouldn't go through it again, she refused to let her brother die! With that the fighter shot off the ground leaving Dende to his own devices, speeding through the air as fast as her body would move. She felt bad for Dende and knew she was taking a big risk leaving him alone like this without anyone to protect him but at least she knew where Buu was. She'd been lucky so far; hopefully that luck would hold out.

As she flew, Hairiyu felt an unfamiliar ki signal appear quite some distance away from her heading for the same spot as her. Whoever it was had incredible power. A feeling of nerves came over her; was it another threat? She didn't recognise it which worried her. Things seemed to be getting worse and worse. Thankfully she and Dende weren't too far away from the fight; it took her only a couple of minutes before she finally reached them. There they were, all four of them, stood out amongst themselves against the barren wasteland backdrop. A large crater stood beside them; some sort of impact must have occurred. Hairiyu's feet scraped against the rocky ground as she landed, alarmed when she saw Trunks and Goten standing separate from each other, both looking nervous. Piccolo stood in front of the boys between them and Buu. The trio were shocked and surprised to see her.

"H-Hairiyu!" Piccolo exclaimed surprised to see she was still alive.

"Sis!" Trunks cried seemingly happier than Piccolo had appeared as he rushed up to his sister, completely ignoring Buu who apparently was sat squatting with his head leaning to one side though his eyes remained open. "You're alive! We thought you had been killed with everyone else!"

Even Buu seemed a little surprised to see her, although he certainly didn't seem worried; he didn't bother to rise to his feet. No doubt he'd lost any interest in her as a challenge.

"I thought you three had been killed," Hairiyu replied relieved to see him in good spirits and relatively good condition, her brother tugging on her hand.

"Nah, we're way too strong as Gotenks to be killed by him!" Trunks retorted.

"B-But Trunks, we ran out of fusion time!" Goten worriedly pointed out walking towards the two siblings.

"We almost had him!" Trunks responded.

Piccolo stepped forwards, still in disbelief. "H-How did you...?" He started unable to finish.

"Hey, how comes everyone was killed and you weren't?" Trunks asked confused, face scrunching up slightly as he added more to his sentence: "He killed mama!"

"I know..." Hairiyu frowned as she began to explain to the others what had happened. "Krillin and I tried to fight him. Krillin got turned into chocolate pretty quickly. I tried to beat him but my mind frazzled; I was so worried about you three thinking you'd all been killed... so he got the better of me... again... He tried to turn me into chocolate; I think I managed to get a barrier up before the beam hit it. Honestly I didn't think it was gonna protect me."

"That was lucky," Piccolo responded as serious as ever. "Even with you here, right now I don't think our chances of beating Buu are any better."

"Aww come on Piccolo," Trunks snapped unimpressed with the fighter's attitude. "My sis has battled Buu lots of times before; she must know a weakness by now!"

"Sorry, I've got nothing," Hairiyu answered sadly. "I know his technique; it hasn't changed much since he was that fat Buu. The problem is by now he also knows my fighting technique. I can keep on fighting him and guess his next move but he'll just do the same against me... right?" She turned to Piccolo for confirmation: the Namekian nodded saying nothing.

Buu's sudden movements startled everyone. Hairiyu put up her guard... baffled when she could hear soft noises coming from him; her eyes widened in disbelief. Was this actually happening?

"He went to sleep!" Trunks spluttered unsure whether to be insulted or relieved.

"What's he up to?" Hairiyu mumbled suspicious, two shadows darting past her causing her to shout out in alarm, "H-Hey!" Goten and Trunks had started to run towards the sleeping monster!

"What are you doing?" Piccolo demanded in a hoarse voice.

"We're gonna see if he's really asleep!" Goten called back to the two in a loud voice.

"Shush stupid!" Trunks quietly hissed eager not to wake the beast.

Hairiyu watched with her heart in her throat as the two boys circled Buu inquisitively, observing him keenly.

"Listen to me; this is the perfect opportunity to come up with a plan!" Piccolo hissed at the two boys. "Let's stop acting so foolishly and think!"

"Trunks, Goten, get over here!" Hairiyu demanded just as furious as Piccolo. Trunks glared annoyed at his sister and reluctantly made his way over, Goten following.

Again she felt it. Hairiyu turned on her heels; that power level she'd felt earlier was closing in!

"What is that ki I'm sensing?" Piccolo gasped noticing there was someone heading towards them, alarmed by the sheer magnitude of their energy.

"Someone's coming!" Hairiyu realised. "I don't recognise it!"

"It could be a new enemy!" Piccolo growled nervous. "Boys stay close!"

Goten and Trunks obediently dashed back towards the two older fighters and kept their eyes peeled in the direction the strange energy was coming from. Hairiyu pinpointed the direction it was coming from, spotting a small dot in the distance. It travelled at an impressive speed and was heading straight for them. She could just make out black hair with an orange gi and blue shirt.

Realisation struck her. Suddenly she recognised his ki! Her jaw dropped to the floor in sheer disbelief; it wasn't possible! She'd seen it with her own eyes and felt it!

"It's Goku!" Piccolo gasped.

"No, it's Gohan!" Goten cried excitedly.

In a blur of colour, Gohan was amongst them as he skidded slightly across the ground kicking up dust as he landed. He made a quick glance to the others, smiling. "Good, I made it just in time."

Hairiyu couldn't believe what she was seeing. Standing between her and Buu was Gohan, unscathed and still very much alive. The memory of his supposed death now confused her greatly; she'd seen it with her own eyes, she'd seen him be blasted away and had felt his ki vanish. What had happened?

"Hey Gohan! We all thought you were dead!" Goten grinned pleased to see his big brother again and looking a lot stronger than before.

"I would have been if it wasn't for Kaioshin," Gohan replied. "I've been with him ever since."

'_Kaioshin's alive too?'_ Hairiyu felt as if everything she'd seen was a lie. She hadn't seen Kaioshin die but had been sure he had been killed when Buu had released that large energy dome against her dad. She hadn't seen or sensed him since so to hear he was still kicking about was fantastic! Things were peaking up a little for the group. She had to admit Videl had been right about one thing; Gohan had indeed been alive and she'd never been so happy to see him.

Her attention focused back on the man standing between them and Buu. The Gohan before her seemed different. She could see subtle differences in his facial structure; it resembled that of a Super Saiyan, yet there was no Super Saiyan transformation here. It was mostly his eyes; they'd seemed to have lost that innocence about them and looked sharpened. His ki felt different; something extra was hidden away and she wasn't sure what. The more she looked at him, the more they rose to the surface. The emotions welling up inside her broke through, she felt a tear escape and hurriedly brushed it aside; she was so relieved to see Gohan alongside them. This was no time for tears; Buu was still here.

"Where are the others?" Gohan asked, a cool tone to his voice.

"They're all dead! Buu killed them all!" Goten responded.

"What? Mother too?" Gohan glanced over his shoulder with a hint of surprise to his voice.

"Everyone; mum, Videl, everyone Gohan!" Goten replied distraught.

"We're all that's left!" Trunks added.

Hairiyu frowned, unsure whether to reveal Dende's survival or not. Would it be wise to casually announce it in front of Buu? No, she'd mention it to someone once the fighting started.

"They tasted good... I turned them all into chocolate and gobbled them up!" Buu had risen as soon as Gohan had arrived. The Majin smiled, rubbing his flat stomach to demonstrate his actions much to the others' chagrin.

Without another word Gohan approached Buu, stopping inches from him. The Majin towered over Gohan, who wasn't short by any standards.

"So, you want to fight Buu?" Buu sneered interested in the smiling warrior who opposed him.

'_Is he really going to go through with this?'_ Hairiyu pondered. Something about Gohan – his posture maybe – gave her the impression she needn't worry about him so much. She knew Gohan wouldn't act this way unless he had something up his sleeve.

"No, I wanna kill you." The Saiyan-Earthling hybrid responded with a grin not too dissimilar to that of Vegeta; he seemed to have the same type of confidence in his abilities.

Buu stared down at the fighter, suddenly bursting out into a small fit of laughter. "Ah yes, I remember you now! You're one of the ones I've beaten before! So you want some more do you?"

'_He's really confident... Is that actually Gohan?'_ Hairiyu wondered confused. The Gohan she knew was never like this; he seemed so charismatic and sure of himself, almost like during the fight with Cell. That confidence had come with arrogance; Hairiyu couldn't help but remember it had almost cost the Earth. Although she was intrigued by his newfound confidence, she couldn't help wonder whether the same would happen again...

A deep boom shook the ground; Gohan's ki rocketing up. His movement was too fast for her to see properly; Gohan's arm blurred. Buu's face was struck. Even from the blurred perspective she had, Hairiyu could just about tell not even Buu had registered the hit fast enough to react.

Gohan's leg swung around; Buu's body jolted head-first to the side. With a roar Buu retaliated and went on the attack. Gohan caught his punch, issuing several more strikes knocking Buu skywards. In a flash he'd caught up with the monster and struck him to the ground; Buu landing with a heavy thud against the dirt. He quickly rose to his feet, glancing up furiously towards his foe.

"Over here, slowpoke."

Buu turned around; Gohan stood before him unfazed and with the confident smile present on his face as before the scuffle had started. The look of shock on Buu's face closely resembled the looks of those watching. Piccolo, Hairiyu, Goten and Trunks could not hide their awe, jaw dropping to the floor as they watched.

"You can't beat me," Gohan spoke. "Not like this."

'_This is so unreal, how can this be Gohan? He's never this confident or this sure of himself!'_ Hairiyu stared in disbelief, eyes peeled on her childhood friend. _'He's always had a shadow of doubt in any other fight apart from the battle with Cell after he transformed... but even this version seems kinda arrogant! What happened to him? How'd he even get so powerful?'_

A peculiar smile arose on Buu's face.

"I knew it, it was you!"

Hairiyu raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked unsure of what he was getting at.

"I felt a very strong power far, far away... Even whilst fighting those little brats I could sense your power growing, getting stronger," Buu spoke. "I can't let anyone be stronger than me."

'_Buu could sense him? How? I couldn't even sense him...'_ Hairiyu was bewildered. For someone who'd previously been unable to detect ki, Buu now appeared to have a knack for sensing energies far better than anyone she'd ever known!

"So you tried me out and I really was stronger," Gohan replied. "Too bad, Buu."

Buu snorted at the remark. His expression hurriedly changed, glaring at Gohan with disgust and fury; Hairiyu felt herself tensing up expecting him to do something.

"You... I won't let you get away with this! No one can be stronger than Buu! I'll kill you!" Buu's ki began to rise dramatically; strong gusts of wind expelling away from him blowing dust and loose dirt to the air. His body began to glow pink, veins popping from his skin as he roared out. Something about his ki seemed wild and rebellious; Hairiyu didn't like what she was sensing.

"You know that's impossible," Gohan coolly answered.

Instinct kicked in and Hairiyu stood in front of Piccolo and the boys who were taking shelter inside Piccolo's cape. Nervous but prepared she stood her ground and watched Buu intensely. Something about the look on his face scared her.

Buu's body continued to charge up with power, shuddering and shaking strangely. The wind rapidly picked up, Hairiyu forced to raise her arms in a bid to protect her face from loose debris striking her. In a brief moment the whole world seemed to tumble from under her feet. Something firm lay across her stomach; she felt several other solid things touch her as the wind whipped around her. A terrific explosion shook her body as she was dragged away by someone, the bright light seeping through her close eyelids. Unsure of what she was attached to she held on for dear life, unsure where any of the others were...

Eyes opened.

Hairiyu gasped in shock. She, Goten and Trunks were being held several thousands of metres high in the sky. Below them was a large plume of dark smoke hiding the most of what she believed to be a crater at least half a mile wide.

It terrified her to think she and the others had been there just a second ago.

"T-Thank you Gohan..."

Hairiyu glanced around; Piccolo was in Gohan's other arm. She couldn't believe how fast Gohan was!

"We nearly died!" Goten exclaimed.

"Buu exploded?" Trunks choked.

"Thanks Gohan!" Goten smiled up at his older brother. "How did you know he was gonna blow himself up?"

Gohan seemed to be busy searching for something; Hairiyu deducted it down to Buu. She couldn't sense the Majin's ki but even she knew an explosion of that kind couldn't kill him. Fat Buu had survived her father self destructing; Piccolo had seen him regenerate from virtually nothing. She didn't disbelieve for a second that Buu would also regenerate from this.

"... I'm not so sure he did," Gohan muttered.

"What?" Goten and Trunks gasped in unison.


	97. Chapter 096

**Chapter 096 – Buu's Plan**

The group had retreated to a greener, leafier spot; a hill overlooking a farmer's fields was close enough to keep the damaged area on the horizon for them to observe.

"...You don't think he's gone?" Piccolo asked after a while.

"Not a chance," Gohan shook his head.

"B-But we saw him blow up!" Trunks cried baffled. "He was trying to take you with him!"

"No, if that's what he was trying to do then he'd have destroyed the whole Earth," Gohan answered.

Hairiyu frowned and glanced over to the lowly spot they'd been standing in seconds ago. "...I agree; I don't think he's dead but I can't see what he'll gain from all this. Blowing himself up just to escape fighting you? What else can he do?"

"Let's use our heads; could Buu have escaped? I can't sense his ki!" Piccolo spoke.

"He's masking it," Gohan replied.

"Is he going to ambush us?" Goten gasped, glancing around vigilantly.

"I'm not sure... but he's gotta be plotting something," Gohan took a step forward and continued to look over to the smoke on the horizon.

'_What would Buu gain? He's not gonna change anything...'_ Hairiyu pondered, folding her arms and glancing down. He could be out there anywhere, suppressing his ki and moving about. Maybe Goten was right, perhaps he would ambush them. Hairiyu wasn't so sure; it didn't seem like something Buu would do from all the fights she'd had with him. He had to be hiding his ki for a reason; perhaps he was trying to come up with a plan.

"Who cares anyway?" Trunks grinned confidently. "Gohan can beat him! I'll bet he's as strong as our Super Gotenks!"

"Stronger!" Goten exclaimed.

"... Maybe a little..."

Hairiyu stepped forwards until she was level with Gohan, glancing up at him with a look of interest and slight sorrow.

"What's up?" Gohan asked, catching the look upon her face.

Hairiyu wasn't entirely sure what to say to him; all she'd wanted to do was just to look at him, to confirm this really was Gohan and that he really was alive. It had torn her apart seeing him be thrown into the reaches of space on the receiving end of that ki blast. The memory was as painful as ever and she winced a little. "... It's like you're back from the dead." She mumbled. "I thought Buu had killed you when I saw you disappear."

"... I thought I was dead," Gohan nodded frowning. "Sorry about that. Kaioshin and Kibito saved me; they said I was hanging on by a thread. Buu must have really done a number on me..."

Hairiyu saw the memory play back in her mind, attempting to shake it from her mind she clamped her eyes shut. Now was not the time. Her best friend had not died; he was alive and well and standing next to her. "... At least you're here now." She attempted a smile and perked up a little. "By the way the strength and speed you have is incredible! You look different too. I can see slight changes around your face and you look so much more buffed up... what's up with that?"

"Yes, what actually happened?" Piccolo butted in stepping forward alongside the two teenagers, Goten and Trunks joining them.

Gohan began to explain to her and the others the training he'd gone through on Kaioshin's planet through mastering the Z-sword and the release of the Elder Kaioshin who had released his full potential.

"... So this elder Kaioshin was able to give you all this power?" Piccolo mumbled intrigued. "What an amazing old guy."

"This is all your hidden power unleashed?" Hairiyu gawked. "... Wow... You're pretty badass, you know? If you had this kind of power inside of you all along it would have been so easy to beat Babidi and Buu a couple of days ago!"

"Who's got the Dragon Radar?" Gohan asked changing the subject whilst the thought was still fresh in his mind.

"Well I had it but I gave it to Piccolo," Trunks replied glancing up to the towering warrior.

"I have it with me..." Piccolo muttered grimly, "... but what does it matter? Without Dende the Dragonballs are gone."

"Dende's not dead," Hairiyu answered nonchalantly. "He's alive; I left him somewhere because I wanted to help you guys."

"H-He's what?" Piccolo gasped.

"I knew I could sense his ki," Gohan smiled. "Let's go track him down."

The group took to the skies, Hairiyu leading them back to where she and Dende had been hiding, not that she really needed to but having to because of how faint Dende's life force was. Goten and Trunks had been ordered to fly behind the group in case of an attack and were muttering to themselves; the three older warriors not paying too much attention to their griping. As they flew over the barren wasteland, Gohan spotted something small moving below.

"Hey look."

"At what?" Hairiyu asked, glancing down at the scenery below scanning as quickly as she could. "... I can't see anything..."

"A human," Piccolo had spotted it.

"... Isn't that Mr Satan?" Trunks asked.

"Oh, I see him now!" Hairiyu gasped spotting the two mounds moving slowly across the desert. "... I still don't get why he's still alive? I thought Buu killed everyone with that attack – except for him and apparently Tenshinhan and Chaozu... I just don't get what's so great about him?"

"He's the only human who was ever kind to Buu, I suspect that maybe the reasoning," Piccolo suggested.

"We're not gonna help him are we? He's such a liar! We should leave him; he'll die soon enough!" Trunks whined unimpressed and unsympathetic towards the overheating man.

"... We'll help him," Piccolo decided, "amongst all that showboating and gloating there is a decent man inside. He tried to save the Earth in his own way..."

"Let's bring him with us then," Gohan agreed.

'_I dunno... How much help is he really gonna be?'_ Hairiyu crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow as Piccolo shot down towards the human, not entirely sure on how taking this man along for the ride was going to make much of a difference. At the very least Dende could heal him up if he needed it. The human was given quite a start as he stopped and looked up in their direction, suddenly flippantly screaming and throwing his limbs out as Piccolo snatched him up and took to the skies; Goten following suit and grabbing the puppy into his arms.

"... Hairiyu?"

Hairiyu's attention was snatched away as Gohan's voice interrupted, causing her to fluster a little, "Huh? W-What?" She spluttered.

"Where's Dende?" Gohan asked. "Is he far from here?"

"Oh. He's not too far." Hairiyu shook her head.

The group continued to fly on, Mr Satan and a puppy now in tow. Hairiyu glanced over her shoulder, still unconvinced bringing Mr Satan along was a good idea. If Buu found them surely he'd get in the way or get himself killed? The 'Earth's greatest hero' seemed intrigued by both her and Gohan; Hairiyu quickly turning to face ahead again so he didn't get a full glimpse of her face. Even if there were no cameras around she wondered if he'd somehow recognise her from the tournament despite her disguise.

"H-Hey, it's you! You're Videl's friends!" Mr Satan spluttered recognising Gohan at the very least.

"Hi," Gohan responded with a wave.

"I don't understand..." Piccolo spoke out cutting short the greetings. "... How did you and Dende manage to escape?"

"Um... Well Krillin and I tried to fight Buu," Hairiyu replied, "It didn't go so well. Buu managed to turn Krillin into chocolate. I thought I was doing ok against him but he still beat me and sent me down towards Earth. I thought I was gonna die; I had one of his candy-chocolate turning beams inches from me! My guess is I managed to get a barrier up before the attack hit me... and somehow I survived."

"What about Dende? Surely Buu would have killed you both?" Piccolo grumbled.

"No, Dende's fine," Hairiyu replied. "I should know; he healed me! I'm not sure how he escaped though; I wasn't with him."

"Surely Buu had enough time to escape from the chamber and hunt you both down? It doesn't make sense!" Piccolo was perplexed.

"Dad said you were fighting inside the Room of Spirit and Time. A year in there is a day outside right?" Gohan asked. "Surely what could have felt like hours to you and Gotenks would have been a couple of minutes outside?"

"You weren't in there for very long," Hairiyu nodded in agreement. "I give it half a minute..."

"Of course!" Piccolo cried, clenching his fists in realisation and dropping Mr Satan in the process! "I was too frustrated to think straight! We must have followed Buu by only seconds!"

"Felt more like forever," Hairiyu mumbled quietly, hearing a rapidly quieting scream as Mr Satan plummeted down towards the ground; Trunks bolting down after the falling human and catching him. She struggled to stifle a snort of laughter at Piccolo's lack of awareness. Her attention to her brother down below brought her mind to another matter at hand as the scenery changed from a desolate wasteland to a rocky plain with slight more greenery.

The area they were now in looked very familiar; she was sure she'd flown over this patch on her way towards the others. Her eyes closely scanned the rocky landscape below; he was around here somewhere...

"Dende!" Hairiyu gasped overjoyed as the young Namekian appeared behind a couple of boulders waving up to them. The group landed surrounding the guardian of Earth, Piccolo rushing up and placing his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"You escaped! Well done!" He praised the young Namekian.

"Mr Popo saved me," Dende frowned, "He said I couldn't die because of the Dragonballs, so he threw me off the edge of the lookout when Buu was turning everyone to chocolate."

"That was good thinking on Mr Popo's part," Piccolo nodded, "The Dragonballs would be void without you and the Earth would remain a ghost planet. Mr Popo thought fast."

"Sorry I took off on you like that," Hairiyu apologised as she approached the smaller Namekian sheepishly, "Look who showed up!" She nudged a thumb over to Gohan.

"Gohan!" Dende gasped smiling. "What a relief. We thought you'd been killed! I wasn't sure who else that was I could sense. It's good to see you're alive."

"Same to you," Gohan smiled back.

"H-Hey... who's the weird looking kid?"

Hairiyu glanced over her shoulder at Mr Satan.

"Don't call him a kid!" Trunks protested irked. "He's a god!"

Hairiyu smirked as the wacky man struggled to make sense of what her brother had said.

Now that everyone was reunited it was time to formulate a plan, but not before the hard task of having to tell Mr Satan the fate of his daughter at the hands of Majin Buu. Naturally he did not take the news of his daughter's death well.

"WH-WHAT? NO, IT CAN'T BE TRUE! MY SWEET LITTLE VIDEL? MY SWEET LITTLE GIRL CAN'T BE DEAD! SHE CAN'T BE!"

The news hadn't been easy to break and for the first time in her life Hairiyu felt empathetic and terrible for Mr Satan. At the end of the day, regardless of his lying and posing attitude, he'd just lost his daughter. Videl had become a friend over the past month or so despite hers and Hairiyu's rocky start. She knew far more about her and Gohan than any other friend she'd ever made at Orange Star High School so to lose her had been a shock and blow to Hairiyu's wellbeing.

"You!" Mr Satan grabbed hold of Gohan by his shirt much to the fighter's surprise, "Why didn't you save her? What kind of boyfriend are you?"

"I-I wasn't there!" Gohan stuttered stunned ignoring the boyfriend quip or not hearing it.

Hairiyu frowned as it dawned on her. She'd been there when Videl and the others had died. She'd tried to stop Buu but had failed... Wasn't it her that Satan should be asking? She'd tried... Hell, she always tried but it never worked out.

She shook herself. This was no time for such thoughts. She had to stay positive.

"Don't worry sir, she can be revived," Goten smiled.

"What?" Mr Satan grabbed Goten by his shoulders and started violently shaking him back and forth spitting loudly in his face. "What are you talking about? She's gone you little imp! Quit joking around!"

"I-I'm n-n-not j-jok-king!"

"Don't worry Mr Satan, there's a way to bring back Videl and everyone else Buu's killed," Hairiyu stepped forward. "You'll see."

Several audible grunts amongst them along with her own senses kicking in sent a wave of adrenaline through her body. She stared off into the distance, heart pounding in her throat. Buu.

"Buu, he's coming back!" Trunks cried.

"That didn't take very long," Gohan muttered getting to his feet.

"... But why?" Piccolo grunted. "It's only been an hour! What could have possibly changed?"

"I don't like the feeling I'm getting," Hairiyu gulped. "He wouldn't come back unless he had something up his sleeve, right? Gohan totally outclassed him!"

"I'll finish him off this time. You guys stay back so you don't get hurt," Gohan instructed. In a flash he shot forwards, landing on some nearby rocks.

Buu appeared on the horizon, quickly face-to-face with Gohan. The smile on his face unnerved Hairiyu as she watched from the small distance between them. Something about that smile scared her. Surely he had something planned if he was showing his face.

"He's bluffing," Trunks snorted with confidence, placing his fists on his hips. "I'll bet he'll just run away again!"

Buu glanced past Gohan over towards those behind him.

"Get over here runts! You're the ones I want to fight!"

'_Goten and Trunks?'_ Hairiyu gulped nervously. Against Gotenks, this Buu seemed to be able to hold on. Was he planning to lower their numbers? What would that matter; Gohan would still beat him! What was he thinking?

"What's he thinking?" Piccolo uttered worried.

"Fight with us?" Goten repeated shocked.

"Forget it, you're facing me!" Gohan protested.

"First I'll settle my fight with them, then I fight you!" Buu jeered back.

"What's the point in that? Try going through me first!" Gohan put up his guard determined to fight Buu. He wasn't going to let the monster brush him aside so easily.

'_Stand your ground Gohan,'_ Hairiyu muttered in her mind, taking a couple of steps forwards and ushering her brother behind her.

"What are you doing?" Trunks protested.

"Stay behind me," Hairiyu ordered. "Neither of you intervene in Gohan's fight."

"Why? We could have beaten him as Gotenks," Trunks pouted. "We were this close to obliterating him!"

Buu glanced over towards the boys again, grinning. "What's wrong midgets? You scared? I knew it all along!"

'_Stop it,'_ Hairiyu bared her teeth. Why was he so intent on taunting the boys into fighting him? There was something bizarre about all of this but she had no clue what it was Buu was getting at. Was it simply because he stood a chance against Gotenks or was there something more intelligent behind the thoughts?

"Us, scared?" Goten growled annoyed and insulted.

"Boys." Hairiyu growled.

"You don't get it do you Buu?" Trunks smirked confidently, "We would have slaughtered you if we hadn't turned back!"

"Then why do you look so nervous?" Buu sniggered.

"Wha? Nervous?" Goten took in a deep breath hunching his shoulders up.

"Ignore him," Hairiyu ordered. "He's trying to provoke you into fighting him but I don't know why!"

"He's not smart enough to come up with something like that," Trunks snorted.

"This guy's a nutcase!" Goten smirked. "Come on Trunks, let's straighten him out!"

"Yeah, that's the last load of crap he'll talk!" Trunks sniggered sounding a little like his father once again.

"Wait!" Piccolo barked, sounding sterner than Hairiyu had. "Something's up... Why would he want to fight you and not Gohan?"

"Exactly!" Hairiyu agreed. "Use your heads-"

"Oh stop being so paranoid!" Trunks butted in agitated. "What could he be planning exactly? Buu's as dumb as a sponge!"

"No he's not!" Hairiyu snapped. "Don't underestimate him!"

Their pleas were falling on deaf ears. "It's been enough time for us to fuse again!" Trunks muttered to his fusion partner.

"Yeah, let's turn into Super Gotenks right outta the gate!" Goten agreed.

The boys started the fusion dance, pulling it off perfectly and without any problems. Hairiyu watched with her heart in her throat as Gotenks made an appearance, shocking her when she realised he was a Super Saiyan 3! It confirmed her suspicions when she'd sensed the fight between Gotenks and Buu earlier; how the heck had he managed to achieve it?

"Welcome back the grim reaper of justice – Super Gotenks!" The fused warrior showed the v-sign, grinning with an overabundance of confidence. In a jolt of light and a blast of air he now stood beside Gohan.

'_He's fast... and powerful... but Buu doesn't seem bothered,'_ Hairiyu turned her attention to the towering pink manifestation of evil. He seemed very pleased to see Gotenks for some reason. What was he planning?

"Let me take care of this Gohan; take a back seat or something!" Gotenks began to stretch his muscles.

Gohan seemed reluctant but a part of him was intrigued to see what Gotenks could do. He'd missed the fight his father had watched while he was forced to sit and wait for the elder Kaioshin to unlock his power, so the result of fusion was still something vague and unknown to him."Alright... but be careful..." He nodded.

"Come on!" Buu jeered.

"Enjoy that certainty while you can Buu," Gotenks gloated, "this time you're finished!"

A shadow darted over the unsuspecting fused warrior; Hairiyu standing some ways back saw it just before Gotenks and Gohan were aware of it but it was already too late for her to even call out. A large pink blob suddenly jumped out through the cracks in the rocks behind Gotenks. She gasped in horror as the strange apparition engulfed the fused warrior. Another flash of pink to her right made her wince back with horror causing her to jump to the side, realising it had engulfed Piccolo instead; both warriors now struggling to free themselves.

"Piccolo!" Dende gasped.

"What is that?" Hairiyu cried, frantically looking around in case one went for her.

"What are you doing?" Gohan demanded furiously of Buu who stood with an ecstatic grin on his face.

With a come-hither motion of one finger, Buu called the two large blobs forwards, each slapping into him and rejoining his body. Buu's entire body, now looking like a rough mould, began to change. His ki shot through the roof as both warriors were absorbed.

Hairiyu watched alongside Gohan, Dende and Mr Satan, horrified as a new Buu finally formed.

Both her brother and mentor had been taken.

'_I warned them!' _Hairiyu clenched her fists, biting her tongue. As much as she wanted to right now she knew if she charged in, Buu would crush her. He was far too strong. Way too strong for his own good. Whatever advantage Gohan held over the Majin was now in question.

"What do you think, Gohan?" The newly formed Buu's voice was a little more humane; he appeared a little more human-looking and had even grown a nose though he still retained his Majin physique. His clothes had changed; the Metamorian vest Gotenks wore was now worn by Buu. "... A splendid success for me, and an honour for you! For you witness the birth of the most powerful Majin of all time – past, present and future!"

"You monster!" Gohan snarled as the tall Majin jumped off his rock, now on level ground with the Saiyan-human hybrid. "You absorbed both of them!" Gohan spat disgusted and remorsefully.

"It's your fault... I was supposed to be the strongest!" Buu retorted. "I began to form this plan when I first sensed your presence far from Earth and realised you might prove to be stronger than I. I thought if I were to absorb Super Gotenks, I should surely be able to retain my title no matter who would appear! Fortunately the brat mentioned he had limited time. Not wanting him to change back the moment I absorbed him, I had to wait for the next opportunity. I had to stall for an hour until the brat would reappear."

"So that's what all that was about?" Gohan raised an eyebrow, a smile coming to his face. "Well you may have sucked up some speaking skills from Piccolo but you're still not that smart! If you wanted to be the strongest, why didn't you absorb me?"

Buu chuckled, "Think about it. What fun is being the strongest without anyone to fight? I kept you around to use as a means to test out my strength."

"... What about Hairiyu?" Gohan asked taking a quick glance over to the fighter behind him. "Why didn't you absorb her?"

"H-Hey!" Hairiyu spluttered nervously taking a step back. "Don't give him ideas!"

Buu snorted, glancing quickly at Hairiyu which caused her to shudder, before turning back to Gohan, "I had no use for her. I wanted Piccolo's brains; it was a toss-up between her and Gotenks. Super Gotenks was stronger. I'll kill her when I'm done with you. As the former Buu declared; I'll kill you and enjoy it!"


	98. Chapter 097

**Chapter 097 – Gohan's Desperate Fight**

The wind howled as it travelled across the barren rocky wasteland, dragging loose fragments of dust along with it. The silence was eerie as the revelation which had just played out began to sink in. Piccolo and Gotenks had both been lost, both been taken against their will by the newly transformed Majin monster. His reasoning sounded reasonably logical of such a degree neither Gohan nor Hairiyu thought Buu was capable of. Even his deliberate avoidance of taking Gohan along with the other two made sense considering his persona; what use was newly acquired power if there was no one to use it against? He was determined to destroy the planet but first he would destroy his opponents. Now only Dende, Mr Satan, Gohan and Hairiyu remained to fight him; they – alongside Tenshinhan, Chaozu and Mr Satan's puppy – were the only native souls left on the planet and it was unlikely they would be able to protect it.

"Unfortunately I'll have to be quick," Buu smiled as he gathered himself into a defensive stance, "The Super Gotenks in me is temporary."

"Smart thinking; I guess that's the Piccolo in you," Gohan put up his guard mimicking his enemy's actions.

Hairiyu jumped down the small ledge she'd been perched on and stood in front of Dende and Mr Satan protectively though if it came to it, she knew there was little she could do against Buu.

"Wh-What happened to that little runt and the green guy? Where'd they go?" Mr Satan spluttered bewildered and freaked out.

"Buu absorbed them," Hairiyu answered exasperated, already annoyed by the man's presence. "Keep quiet so Gohan can concentrate."

Gohan's leg twitched; he shot for Buu ready to attack. The rematch was on.

Things weren't going well for Gohan. Buu's speed and power had greatly increased thanks to Piccolo and Gotenks' being absorbed. Gohan had lost the advantage he'd held and seemed to be more on the defensive than ever. Hairiyu watched from the sidelines, anxious to join in and help Gohan but smart enough to know she was of no use now. Buu was just too strong for Gohan, let alone her. With every attempt Gohan made, Buu out-did him, stopping every attack Gohan had. Wrapping his antenna around Gohan's neck, he pulled him in, smashing one fist clean into Gohan's face and sending him shooting off uncontrollably. Buu's free hand was stretched out as he fired off an energy attack.

Gohan's feet slammed heavily into a bolder somehow managing to land rather than collide with it. The fighter was too busy reeling from the pain in his cheek to notice the oncoming attack.

"GOHAN!" Dende bellowed desperately.

The teenage boy barely avoided Buu's attack as the blast exploded as it hit the boulder, rocking the ground violently. Hairiyu dug her fingers into the rocky walls surrounding her, Dende and Mr Satan in an attempt to stay anchored, the winds howling loudly around them as the deafening roar echoed and reverberated off the closely cut rocks. The entire canyon was filled with rubble and dust.

Both Buu and Gohan temporarily vanished from sight; Hairiyu finally caught sight of Gohan as he bolted up into the air... or had he been kicked into the air? Several hollow energy discs followed him up; Hairiyu'd never seen anything like them! They levelled with Gohan who now seemed to be caught in the middle of each hoop of energy...

Suddenly Gohan was trapped; the three hoops suddenly compressing around his arms and legs, unable to move his limbs.

"That's bad!" Hairiyu gasped. "Gohan, break free! You can do it!"

Buu appeared before the struggling fighter and started to charge up a Kamehameha.

'_He can't survive that!'_ Hairiyu clenched her fists in frustration.

Then Gohan screamed, his ki fluctuating as Buu fired off the Kamehameha straight for the trapped warrior. In a desperate burst of ki, Gohan suddenly broke loose from his confinements, barely dodging the Kamehameha as it shot past him, scooting down towards the ground.

Hairiyu breathed a small sigh of relief, although in retrospect there wasn't much to be relieved about. Buu was still alive and far superior to this new Gohan who now seemed to be taking a small breather. The fighting quickly continued, Buu dodging everything Gohan dished out and providing him a beating of his own. One strike to his waist sent Gohan crashing into the rocky rubble below with a large thud, causing the ground to shudder at their feet.

"... Dende," Hairiyu mumbled eyes fixed on the spot where Gohan'd disappeared under the rocks obscuring her view. She sounded almost as if she were in a trance. "... You're gonna need to jump in and help Gohan in a minute. Heal him, ok?"

"What are you planning?" Dende asked anxiously, afraid he already knew the answer to the question but needing to confirm it. "You know Buu will be expecting you to rush in, right? He's absorbed Piccolo; he's already playing mind-games with Gohan and taunting him. He'll do exactly the same to you if you rush in."

"... Wait... how do you know what Buu's saying to Gohan?" Hairiyu asked baffled.

"Namekians have an acute sense of hearing," Dende replied nonchalantly as if the fact was something he'd expected her to know.

A violent shudder of the ground interrupted the conversation, Dende and Mr Satan squatting down close to the ground as they both cowered under Buu's immense strength. Hairiyu's head spun around to see Buu slap an oncoming energy beam back down to the ground from the hole it had emerged from.

It felt as if the whole planet was being ripped apart under her feet as the attack erupted below the surface! A large chunk of Gohan's ki was eliminated in the same instant the attack exploded; no doubt he'd been caught in the explosion. The Majin vanished below ground...

Several shockwaves then shook the planet; Hairiyu sensing Gohan's ki plummet with every strike. _'... Hang in there Gohan...'_ She pleaded in her mind despite sensing every attack whittling down his ki.

"H-Hey... that kid's getting pummelled," Mr Satan spoke out to no one in particular.

"Mr Satan, take the dog and run!" Dende advised. "You'll be much safer if you leave!"

"He's right, you'd better get somewhere safe," Hairiyu agreed – anything to get rid of this lug of hot air!

Mr Satan smirked confidently which only unnerved the two beside him. "Don't worry about me..." He reached into his shirt and retrieved a gun, cocking it and pointing it down towards the hole Buu had vanished into. "I've got protection and as soon as Majin Buu pops his rear outta that hole, I'm gonna fill him with lead!"

Hairiyu stared disheartened at the man. "... You seriously have no clue..." She sighed. So be it, if the man was going to die then there was not much else she could do. Rather she felt it too tiring to have to deal with saving the fool from his own impending doom; he'd only serve to get in the way.

The feel of energy caught her attention; her head whirled around to see Gohan shoot out from amongst a pile of rocks, falling towards the ground. "Dende!" She yelled urgently.

"Got it!" Dende bolted over towards Gohan; Hairiyu starting to gather up energy into the palm of her hand, waiting for Buu to emerge from the hole or anywhere else.

The Majin shot free from the ground.

With a bellow Hairiyu fired off a ki blast aimed straight for the monster. The beam shot up towards Buu who spotted it and easily dodged the attack, attention turning to Hairiyu. With the great distance between the two of them, Hairiyu couldn't make out what Buu was saying despite seeing his mouth move. She didn't really care; as long as she could buy enough time for Dende to heal Gohan! Unfortunately Buu's attention quickly turned over to the others; Dende dashing back over towards Hairiyu and Mr Satan.

"H-Hey, go hide!" Hairiyu shoed the Namekian away from her half frantic about him being discovered, the other half worried she was now in the line of fire if the Namekian had indeed been spotted! "Don't let Buu see you!" She hissed flinching at the sound of a large crack as a kiai from Buu suddenly burst free, striking Gohan who was a lot closer to the villain than any of the others. He'd been forced to defend himself, arms covering his face as he withstood the shockwave.

Opening her eyes and fixing them back on Buu sent a chill down Hairiyu's spine as she realised he was staring dead-on at them. Hurriedly she rushed away from Dende and Mr Satan, "Stay there!" She ordered, hopping over to an area relatively far from the others. She didn't want to get the other two involved if Buu was turning his attention back to her. To her confusion Buu wasn't aiming his now outstretched arm for her; he seemed indifferent to her movement and instead pointed a finger down for the others.

'_... He was going for Dende!'_ Hairiyu realised. "Dende MOVE!"

The beam was fired; Hairiyu bolted forwards horrified she wouldn't make it in time. Dende seemed paralysed with fear whilst Mr Satan had started to fire off futile rounds at the attack-

The beam disintegrated metres from its target. The culprit of the negating attack went unknown for the moment as Hairiyu was far too concerned with reaching Dende and Mr Satan before Buu could try it again. She landed with a heavy landing on her feet inches from Dende anxious to make sure he was alright. "You ok?" She asked glancing him over.

"Y-Yeah," Dende nodded shaken. "Wh-what just happened?"

Hairiyu finally paid mind to the cause of the stop of Buu's attack and glanced over, suddenly sensing another energy source amongst them. She gasped in shock when she realised who had just saved Dende and the unknowing Mr Satan.

"T-Tenshinhan!" Gohan cried in disbelief.

"It's Tenshinhan," Hairiyu was surprised to see him too! She hadn't seen nor heard from the veteran fighter since the Cell Games seven years ago. The veteran warrior looked the same as ever though his clothing had changed much since the last she saw him. Instead of the trademark green uniform he'd bore ever since she'd first laid eyes on him, he wore a large white cloth tossed over one arm with blue training clothes underneath not too dissimilar to Goku's. A white sleeved shirt was hidden underneath the blue and cloak.

"So... you are Son Gohan? I can't believe my eyes..." Tenshinhan smiled at the now teenaged Gohan, "... You've changed, though not as much as Buu I'm afraid."

Hairiyu was pleased to see the warrior though she couldn't help but feel he'd had a lucky shot. Now that Buu knew of his existence he would not be providing them with much support, despite the large power-up he'd clearly had. It was a bitter-sweet moment but at least she knew they were all in this together.

Buu's ki began to rise. Hairiyu turned away from Tenshinhan as soon as she'd become aware of the pink tint to the rocks in front of her, horrified to see and sense the large mass of energy he held above his head!

None of them could fend off that attack!

"I think I'll just destroy the whole planet!" Buu declared. "Try to stop this!"

"What kind of taunt is that? None of us can damn well stop that!" Hairiyu snapped frustrated. The taunt had been uncalled for; nothing she could do would stop that energy ball from detonating once it hit the ground; she wouldn't be able to deflect it back from whence it came. Gohan's abilities was a little more uncertain, perhaps he could stall for time but it'd already been made clear to them he could only last so long against this Buu.

"I'm sorry Buu! I'll have to kill you! Forgive me!" Mr Satan had once again pointed his gun at the monster and started to fire off shots.

"Everyone say so long!" Buu jeered.

Hairiyu clenched her fists in anticipation, starting to gather energy into her hands despite knowing how futile it would be. She wouldn't give up, she refused to stay standing and let this happen! She was a fighter until the end, that was how she saw herself and she wouldn't go to the otherworld once again disappointed in herself!

Buu suddenly split in half. The energy he'd been gathering was pushed from his control, sent through the sky and up towards space. Amongst all the confusion Hairiyu noticed a Kienzan-type disc shooting ahead of Buu's body, baffling her. Krillin? No, it couldn't have been! She did not expect to see the man responsible for the attack, jaw dropping in disbelief, heart leaping with hope.

"D-Dad!" Gohan cried startled.

Buu's lower half crashed to the ground inches behind where Tenshinhan stood.

Hairiyu stared up into the sky, shocked at whom she saw behind Buu's upper-half.

It was Goku!

"H-How?" Gohan asked baffled.

A loud and urgent gasp from her side caught Hairiyu's ear; Mr Satan trembled as he stared up into the sky, gun still pointing for Buu. "I-I shot him in two? I'm sorry Buu, you made me!"

"Idiot; Goku chopped Buu in half with his attack," Hairiyu grunted. "Your measly little gun couldn't reach Buu from here and even if it could, you wouldn't damage him!"

"You wanna talk about infinitely more? Wait until you see what I've got in store for you!" Goku's voice drifted across the wind; from what Hairiyu could see Goku seemed confident and at ease. Several unanswered questions littered her mind. Why had Goku suddenly appeared? Where had his halo gone? What was he even talking about? Movement and a drop in ki drove her questions away; Tenshinhan had just been kicked by Buu's lower half! The topless body floated into the sky, Buu joining his two halves back together again. From what she could sense, Tenshinhan was down for the count.

Buu and Goku continued talking for a minute until finally Goku seemed to peer down towards them.

"Gohan! Catch!"

Goku suddenly tossed something tiny down to Gohan, Hairiyu barely able to see it let alone make out what it was! Gohan didn't catch it; the tiny object shot past him and vanished into the rocky pile behind him!

"Q-Quick!" Goku shouted. "Pick it up! Put it on your right ear! You've gotta fuse with me!"

"R-Right but... where'd it go?" Gohan scrambled around trying to search for the tiny object.

'_Fuse?'_ Hairiyu repeated to herself. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on but it seemed Gohan needed to find this thing fast! Hurriedly she rushed over to where Gohan was searching and started to look for anything out of the ordinary. "... What exactly are we looking for?" She asked.

"I think it was an earring," Gohan replied, tossing rocks over his head. "Darn it, I can't find it! It's gone!"

"I'm sure I saw it land around here!" Hairiyu mused uncertain as to what an earring had to do with fusing.

The sudden surge in Goku's ki temporarily stunned the girl; she looked up to see he had indeed transformed into a Super Saiyan 3. Yet almost at the same time, something strange happened to Buu's ki.

Buu had gone to attack but had stopped...

"I found it!" Gohan cheered, reaching amongst a small crag between some rocks and retrieving the small earring. "This is Kaioshin's earring, isn't it? What was I supposed to do with it again?" His words fell on deaf ears; everyone else's attention was focused on Buu. Buu's ki dramatically fell; clothes suddenly changing from the Metamorian vest to Piccolo's cape!

"What the...?" Hairiyu gawked in astonishment.

"Feeling weaker?" Goku chuckled, "The kids' fusion must have worn off! I'll bet Piccolo's in there slowing you down!"

'_I get it... Gotenks' fusion time expired... Lucky break!'_ Hairiyu breathed a small sigh of relief. Perhaps now with her, Goku, and Gohan they could do something about Buu, especially since Goku was planning to fuse with his son! She did wonder how he was planning to fuse without using the fusion technique and was intrigued to find out!

Goku powered down to his base form. "... It's disappointing. Gohan can handle you now..."

Buu did not seem to concerned, in fact a small smile crept across his face. "... It's fortunate that I planned ahead..." He retorted.

"Planned ahead? What do you mean?" Goku asked.

Buu shifted his antenna – which Hairiyu now noticed looked more like a stump! "Why do you think I didn't restore this tip?" He asked.

"Where is it?" Hairiyu gasped, frantically looking around on edge.

Then suddenly Gohan was engorged by the large mass of pink. Before she could do anything, the pink slime had captured him, ripping him from the ground and up towards Buu.

"GOHAN!" Hairiyu screamed.

Goku dived down, trying to snatch the sludge from the sky but missed, feet slamming to the ground as he picked the earring from the floor, standing inches from Hairiyu.

Buu had absorbed Gohan and was once again changing. The cloak vanished, now replaced with a replica of the top half of Goku's gi. His ki surged higher and higher, quickly surpassing that of when Gotenks was fused.

"No... Gohan!" Goku cried. "Gohan!"

Buu had finally transformed.

"Fantastic! I have much more power than before and with no time limit!" The Majin cheered ecstatic with his newfound power.

"What do we do?" Hairiyu asked nervously out of ideas. She'd thought before they were doomed once Gotenks and Piccolo had been absorbed... and how little she'd known at the time! "Goku what do we do?" She asked desperately.

"I... I don't know..." Goku spoke. "... I can't combine with Gohan anymore." He looked over at Hairiyu. "... I can't fuse with you, I don't think I'd like what we'd turn in to no matter what the danger to the planet... Tenshinhan's out cold and Dende's no fighter!"

"Too bad!" Buu jeered. "You tried to fuse with Gohan but I took him for myself! What now, Son Goku? Now you have no one left to fuse with!"

"Damn it! What am I supposed to do?" Goku growled. "I can't fuse with Hairiyu! I don't wanna be like the old Kaioshin and fuse with a girl! Who knows what'll happen!"

"W-What? I don't wanna fuse with a man!" Hairiyu cried horrified. "... No offense but I'd rather not if I don't have to!"

"... That means my only other possibility is that idiot..." Goku groaned, glancing over towards Mr Satan and Dende.

"You and I both know that winning is everything!" Buu chuckled from above. "I'll give you one last chance! You have five seconds to choose another partner!"

"Five seconds?" Hairiyu chocked.

"Four... Three..."

"I've got no other choice!" Goku cried turning on his heels to face the current world champion. "Mr Satan! CATCH!" The Saiyan turned and brought back his hand though at the instant he was ready to throw, Goku stopped for some reason, attention drawn away from the imminent threat. He hadn't been the only one to notice the difference as nearby Hairiyu's eyes widened in disbelief.

There was a new ki somewhere on the planet, quite far away from them.

She couldn't believe what she was sensing. There was no doubt about it who this ki belonged to and yet Hairiyu did doubt it! How could he still be here? Piccolo had assured them all that once he died, he could never return to his normal form; his spirit would be cleansed of memories and used to form a new life!

"V-Vegeta!" Goku gasped.

"H-How can it be?" Hairiyu gawked amazed. "Piccolo said he was gone for good!"

"What luck!" Goku grinned, suddenly snatching Hairiyu by her wrist.

"Give up and die!" Buu bellowed, suddenly charging down towards them.

"G-Goku!" Hairiyu gasped, noticing they were being attacked!

In a whir of light and movement, Hairiyu suddenly found herself in a different location, floating high in the air.

"V-Vegeta! It is you!" Goku's voice called.

Hairiyu's head turned, spotting her father and Baba hovering half a metre away from them. Her jaw dropped as her suspicions were confirmed to her. Whilst Goku and Vegeta mutually showed their shock at seeing the other, Hairiyu couldn't help but stare at her father. He seemed more or less alright, although the halo was a dead giveaway of his death. She couldn't believe it; Piccolo had been so adamant about his knowledge! She'd had to say goodbye to her father forever, had to prepare herself for a potential life of never seeing him again. Piccolo couldn't have been more wrong!

Hairiyu duly noted the lack of the M signature on his forehead and sighed with relief. At least that thing hadn't been permanent...

"... I thought I'd never see you again..." She mumbled quietly.

"I don't understand!" Baba croaked. "Your halo's gone! You've come back to life!"

"Talk later! Baba you need to get outta here!" Goku warned. "Buu's coming fast!"

"Yikes! G-Good luck!" Baba yelped, shooting off into the distance.

Hairiyu glanced around; sure enough she could sense Buu was closing in on them. "We're gonna need to be quick!"

"Looks like King Yama kept your body just in case; smart thinking on his part!" Goku extended his hand. "Vegeta, put this on your right ear."

"Why?" Vegeta asked.

"So we can fuse; we'll be unbeatable!"

Vegeta snorted and laughed. "You think I'd want to fuse with you? Don't make me laugh!"

"I knew you'd say that! Vegeta, we don't have time for this! It's the only way to beat Buu!"

"In that case I'd rather die!"


	99. Chapter 098

**Chapter 098 – The Birth and Death of Vegetto**

"Come on dad, we don't have much time! Buu's gotten a lot stronger since the last time you fought him!" Hairiyu protested anxiously. "There is no way any of us can beat him right now!"

"Buu's closing in! Please Vegeta!" Goku cried. "You've got to put this on! This is no time for pride; this is doomsday!" He once again held out the tiny earring towards the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta's face creased up slightly as his eyes lay upon the tiny object, teeth bared for some reason. Hairiyu knew what her dad could be like, she knew when it came to helping Goku he would always be reluctant to do so, especially since this would require the both of them to join bodies. He'd always hated the man but this hatred was getting in the way of doing what was needed to save the planet... again!

She had no idea how these earrings were supposed to work. They just looked like normal earrings to her but Goku seemed to know something about them and she was willing to trust his judgement.

"I hate you for it..." Vegeta grumbled quietly, head turning to face Goku, the fury lighting up in his dark eyes. "I sent myself into a cold oblivion and I did it on a lie!" The pure confusion on his rival and daughter's faces went ignored as he continued. "I saw it from the afterlife! I saw you transform into a Super Saiyan 3! When you fought me you hid your true strength! Were you manipulating me or mocking me? You turn my stomach! You think I'd want to fuse with you?"

"Look I'm sorry, I had to save it for later just in case!" Goku frowned apologetically sensing the anger radiating from his rival. Vegeta had not changed since his brush with death. "There's a limit to how long I can keep that form!" He explained but he may as well have not bothered as Vegeta was not interested.

"Don't make excuses!" Vegeta snapped at the younger Saiyan. "The facts don't change! You were mocking me!"

"Dad we don't have time for this!" Hairiyu cried growing more and more frustrated with the lack of a solution. Buu was getting closer to them all the time and they did not have time to be arguing amongst themselves. "I get that you hate Goku and you wanna out-do him but right now with the way we all are, none of us stand a chance! I've seen his power with my own eyes and have fought him – we can't win like this! please just listen to Goku!"

"You wanna talk about facts?" Goku asked growing a little heated in the moment. "We-" he pointed to himself and Hairiyu, "-are the only ones left! Buu has eaten everyone! Everyone we know and care about is gone – even Bulma! He's absorbed Trunks, Gohan, Goten and Piccolo which is how he's gotten this strong! They've become part of Buu; they can't even die! I just thought for once we could put aside our differences just this once and really work together! We owe that to our teammates, our families and our friends! You've always talked about how we're the last of a mighty people, it's time we accept we're starting a new race! One that can be just as tough, just as proud! We can't do that if we're so caught up in our old birth-rights to see what we've got in front of us! We've lost our old race Vegeta! Let's not lose this one too!"

Hairiyu frowned as Goku spoke a rather inspiring speech to convince her father, remembering the many deaths Majin Buu had caused. She hadn't been able to protect her brother or her mother from this monster. She was barely able to keep herself alive as it was. Thanks to this monster, she'd lost almost everyone she cared about, she'd lost almost everything and at this rate she would do. Buu was just too overwhelming and always seemed to be several steps ahead of them.

Hairiyu looked to her father, eyes moistening a little as she tried to hold herself in check:

"He's had his way with us over the past couple of days. No one's stood a chance against him and pretty much everyone's now dead or has been absorbed," She explained. "The power you're sensing from him right now doesn't belong to him! He's stolen Piccolo, Gohan, Trunks and Goten's power and used it for his own! If we carry on like this he'll destroy the Earth and the Dragonballs and then no one will be brought back to life! Is that really alright with you?"

Buu now a small dot on the horizon.

"Vegeta!" Goku yelled in frustration desperate to fuse before Buu arrived. The pressure on them all was immense and although it seemed the Saiyan Prince had spent a mere second thinking it over, it'd probably felt like a million years to him. Eventually he begrudgingly held out a hand towards Goku:

"Hurry, give it to me!" He barked.

Neither Goku nor Hairiyu could quite believe it.

"What are you waiting for?" Vegeta spat. "Give it now!"

"S-Sure!" Goku smiled, passing the earring to him.

"You said right ear, right?" Vegeta snarled trying to put the earring on and finding it more difficult than had first thought. The pressure was on; Buu was so close to them now!

Hairiyu was in awe at her father. She never would have thought he'd agree to something like this and was proud of him. He'd managed to swallow his pride long enough to agree to fuse with his rival.

"Yeah. One more thing though..." Goku added. "... Once we mix, we can never split again!"

"What?" Both Hairiyu and Vegeta gasped.

"You mean you and dad will be stuck together forever?" Hairiyu gawked.

"Tell me now why don't you! Don't you think that's important information?" Vegeta bellowed. "There, it's on!"

Buu hurtled towards them, charging up an energy attack.

In an instant both Goku and Vegeta appeared to be sucked towards one another. In a blinding flash of light they vanished; Hairiyu forced to shield her eyes and turn away from the fusion, instead turning away and keeping one on Buu as he closed in on them. Her heart thumped in her ribcage as the Majin reached them cackling as he charged for them readying his attack, though quickly the smile on his face vanished as he saw the bizarre fusion technique before him.

The light vanished.

Before them stood a new warrior. His hair stood up on end like her fathers, with a couple of bangs falling down his face. His gi was similar to Goku's; predominantly blue with an orange undershirt. He wore Vegeta's Saiyan gloves and boots. His power was unlike anything she'd ever sensed before.

"Hairiyu, go find Dende and Mr Satan. Keep them out of trouble." He ordered.

"... Alright..." Hairiyu nodded obediently. She turned and slowly drifted away from the powerful warrior – or was he technically her father still? Hairiyu wasn't too sure, the whole ordeal had knocked her for words and coherent thoughts but she kept her eye on the horizon and began to trace Dende's ki.

Buu tossed his energy attack straight for the Saiyan undeterred by his new fused opponent. With little warning the warrior transformed into a Super Saiyan and slapped the oncoming attack straight back at Buu. This was all the battle she witnessed as Hairiyu locked onto Dende's ki and revved up her energy.

There was no doubt in her mind that Buu was about to die.

Dende was on the move.

Apparently Goku'd teleported them quite a distance across the Earth when he'd sensed Vegeta's energy. As she flew back across the barren planet she took notice of all the towns and cities she was flying over. Below were ghost towns; desolate buildings with no one inside. Signs of life that had once existed but had been wiped out. There were abandoned vehicles and bikes scattered all across the cities and towns, toys belonging to children left on the streets and in gardens, homes which now lay abandoned as no one was left to live in them. The shops were empty of people and full of stock whether it be electronics, food, entertainment, tools, capsules. Everything was quiet and still save the wind which swept dust and any loose article along as it travelled across the desolate planet. The forests and farms she passed on her way were also silent, no animals to be seen; farm crops never to be harvested, only to grow and grow until they died off...

It wouldn't be long now. Judging by the ki she was sensing, Buu would soon be defeated and the Dragonballs would be gathered... Although they did have a while to wait since her mother had used one of the wishes already. Four months of an empty planet save those who were still alive. It was a terrifying and haunting thought knowing that for four months no one would be around. Towns, cities, villages and hamlets would remain without humans inhabiting them for four whole months.

The battle behind her would have been incredible to have witnessed but Hairiyu knew better. She had little doubt the Goku in that warrior would want her out of the way so he could concentrate on fighting without having anyone to worry about. Plus Dende would need to be kept alive if they were to use the Dragonballs...

Finally she found them.

Dende was flying Mr Satan over to her direction in an attempt to locate her, Goku, and Buu. Hairiyu hurriedly explained to him what had happened.

"Your father's back?" Dende repeated shocked. "King Yama must have saved his body."

"Yeah, Goku said that too," Hairiyu nodded. "The two of them fused with some strange earrings; they looked like the earrings Kaioshin wore... anyway, right now whoever-they-are is now fighting with Buu..."

Hairiyu stopped dead in her tracks. No, that couldn't be! She turned on her heels, scared at what she was sensing.

"... C-Can you feel that?" Dende shuddered nervously.

"I really hope not!" Hairiyu gulped, body starting to tremble slightly as she glanced over in the direction Buu and the fused warrior had been battling in. "... You've gotta be kidding me! I can't sense them anymore! All I can sense is Buu!"

"What do you think we should do, Hairiyu?" Dende asked apprehensively.

"... I think we'd better check this out," Hairiyu decided after gulping down the large lump in her throat. Her mind told her not to as did her heart but she knew she'd have to confirm it. "I don't like this at all. I can't sense anyone else other than Buu."

She was inches off the ground when something grabbed onto her arm startling her.

"W-Wait! Don't leave me on my own! Take me with you!" Mr Satan had reached out and grabbed her by the arm, the puppy hidden away in his shirt poking its head out.

Hairiyu groaned wincing a little and contemplated having to take him along. Sure he was a pain and incredibly pigheaded but at the end of the day he had tried to save the Earth in his own way. The real question was could she abide his presence? He was Videl's father but also the moron who'd taken credit for Gohan's victory over Cell. Her mind tossed and turned with arguments why and why not to take the man along until eventually it came to a conclusion.

"Alright, we'll take you along. Just keep quiet and try not to fidget around so much!" Hairiyu sighed defeated, one part of her mind screaming blue murder for being swayed. She took hold of the tall big-haired fighter and levitated up into the sky, Dende beside her.

Buu stood deathly still on top of a protruding rock-face, apparently staring off into space. He did not move or speak. He didn't seem to notice the arrival of three individuals observing him from a small distance away. As soon as they'd arrived Hairiyu'd led them down to the ground. The area they were in wasn't as barren as a fair few trees and bushes were around, though the ground was uneven and twisted up into the air with thick jagged points of rock. At least they'd have somewhere to take shelter in. The trio were forced to hide amongst the rocks close to where the Majin stood. His behaviour perplexed Hairiyu. His outwardly appearance had not gone unnoticed by her either; the lack of a nose and a great loss of power now bestowed on the monster.

Sure enough her worst fears were confirmed. No sign of the fused Saiyan. Had her father and Goku's fused version been absorbed too? No, that couldn't be it. Buu had lost the power he'd gained from absorbing Gotenks (now Goten and Trunks as Buu'd lost Gotenks' power earlier), Piccolo and Gohan; there was no immense power to suggest he'd absorbed the strongest fighter she'd ever sensed. What had gone on? She couldn't sense him at all now! Did that mean... he'd been killed?

"Why's he not moving? Weird..." Mr Satan muttered.

"I'm not sure..." Dende answered. "He's turned back to normal too!"

"Or rather he's turned back to that form he was in when he found the lookout," Hairiyu nodded, mind itching to get closer to the Majin. "... You guys stay here... I'm gonna try and get a closer look."

Hairiyu scurried through the rocky outcrops, keeping an eye on Buu as she slowly moved closer. His behaviour seemed very strange indeed; she was rather surprised he still didn't react the closer she got to him. Piccolo had stated earlier that Buu could sense ki signals; she'd seen this for herself recently when Goku had teleported her and himself to Vegeta, when Buu was explaining he knew of Gohan's existence, and even when Buu had relocated them and challenged Gotenks to battle. So why was it he didn't seem to notice her?

The sudden scream startled her. Instinct kicked in and Hairiyu hid amongst a small ledge, peering around the rocky wall to observe Buu, heart thumping wildly.

He seemed to be in pain. His ki was fluctuating wildly, dropping and rising in rapid bursts.

'_What's he doing?'_ Hairiyu raised an eyebrow. Nervous and weary, she slowly made her way back over to Dende and Mr Satan, feeling a sudden need to protect them both. There was something strange about Buu's behaviour that set her on edge and she wasn't comfortable with the gigantic drops and rises in his unstable ki.

"What's his problem?" Mr Satan's voice drifted over the wind.

"I'm not sure," Dende answered.

"I think we may need to step back a little," Hairiyu warned as she reached them again, "Buu's ki is unstable and I've got a bad feeling about this."

One quick glance back to the monster turned into a double glance. Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, Trunks and Piccolo had suddenly popped up from out of nowhere and were now nearby floating in the sky! Goku and Vegeta made a quick dive to catch the others who apparently weren't conscious but Hairiyu was lost for words. How? Where? What had happened while she'd left the fused fighter and now why was her father and Goku two separate beings? Hadn't Goku said these earrings were supposed to keep them fused together forever?

"T-They're alive!" Dende cheered. "Everyone Buu absorbed is alive!"

"That's a relief..." Hairiyu wiped her brow with an exasperated sigh. "... but how did dad and Goku get them from Buu... and how is it that dad and Goku are separate again?"

"What do you mean?" Dende asked; he had not been present to see the two Saiyans fuse with the earrings.

"Well Goku said that once he and dad joined bodies, they could never split," Hairiyu explained.

"Fused? What the heck are you talking about...?" Mr Satan's words went unheard.

Buu's ki was now starting to stabilise, only now it was rising. Hairiyu gulped nervously as she watched the monster's body change, steam spouting out of him as it had done before whenever Buu'd powered up. He still was screaming with pain, throwing himself back and forth every-so-often and shifting his arms across his body. The heat given off by the shrinking Majin was reaching them even from this distance as his body morphed.

Goku, Vegeta and the others had vanished behind a bundle of rocks; Goku and Vegeta soon reappearing not long afterwards, backs turned to Hairiyu, Dende and Mr Satan as their attention focused on Buu.

Was he transforming?

His ki continued to rise, body shrinking. Buu continued to scream out, flailing his arms around and grunting. Neither Goku nor Vegeta seemed to be preparing any kind of attack on the Majin, so Hairiyu patiently stayed alongside Mr Satan and Dende.

After what felt like an eternity, Buu was done. He'd shrunk in size and now seemed to be a third of the size he'd been before, though it seemed physically-speaking nothing else had changed.

"... He's tiny..." Hairiyu mumbled, a feeling of anxiety slowly washing over her. Something about this Majin Buu sent chills through her body. His ki had risen dramatically compared to his last form. A quick glance up to her father and Goku didn't put her at ease, although both the Saiyans appeared to be in no rush to attack Buu.

An ear-piercing, terrible scream reverberated around the entire canyon, the ground violently shuddering below their feet. The sudden change in the Earth's atmosphere stunned Hairiyu as she covered her ears, agitated by the horrific loud scream coming from the tiny Buu. Lightning flashed across the skies which had clouded over the instant Buu had started making this awful racket. The entire planet shuddered under the pressure, the ground starting to crack at their feet as the howling wind picked up violently.

"Make him shut up!" Hairiyu bellowed, voice almost drowned out through Buu's scream.

Then as sudden as it had been brought on, the planet instantly turned back to normal as Buu quietened down.

The miniature fighter raised out one hand.

A small bolt of energy shot down for the ground.

"W-WHAT?" Hairiyu shrieked horrified; the small ball of energy had more than enough energy to destroy the planet! Inches from the ground, another blast deflected it; Vegeta had acted fast and had gone in to stop the ball from exploding.

'_Thank Yama you're here!'_ Hairiyu sighed, heart pounding in her throat from the shock. "That little freak just tried to destroy the planet without as much as a warning! What a moron!" She snapped with disbelief.

"D-Destroy the..." Mr Satan repeated eyes widening. "... You mean that little light thing?"

"It was packed with condensed energy," Dende explained. "I've got a bad feeling about this..."

"Me too," Hairiyu gulped.

Buu's attention focused on the two Saiyans as Vegeta was heard shouting something at the fighter. The Majin turned to face them and raised one hand. Ki gathered into a bright pink energy ball; this one far, far bigger than the previous one as it gathered above the tiny Buu's head. The indifferent look upon his face had vanished and was now replaced with a feverish snarl, almost one of pure hatred. Hairiyu watched unable to move her body, stuck paralysed to the ground without a hope in the world.

"W-What's he doing?" Dende gasped. "W-Why won't Buu fight Goku and Vegeta?"

"T-That thing is powerful!" Hairiyu whispered almost struggling to find the breath to make her voice be heard. "... Dende... I can't deflect that... He's gonna blow up the planet!"

Goku's shouts were barely heard over the gusts. It was difficult to make out what words actually came from the warrior's mouth but they'd seemed to have fallen upon deaf ears as Buu did not relent his energy attack. Nothing seemed to be able to stop him.

"Stop it Buu!" Hairiyu yelled. "Are you insane?"

Buu released the attack.

The area was coated in a pink light. Fear had gripped the demi-Saiyan's body, mind screaming for her to escape and survive. Her heart had stopped; she couldn't move. All she managed was to utter words to no one in particular. "We're gonna die..." She whispered terrified. It was all over.

In the few seconds that followed, Goku and Vegeta had shot off away from the oncoming attack, Goku suddenly shooting down towards her, Dende and Mr Satan. In the panic she latched onto his arm, other arm grabbing onto Mr Satan; Dende clinging to his leg as the gang joined Vegeta.

The energy ball seemed to be following them; no doubt a sign of Buu's malicious nature. Through all the terror and confusion a single figure emerged in front of them illuminated by the light of the attack closing in on them. Kaioshin – or someone who looked like him – appeared, holding out a hand. Goku grabbed hold; Vegeta snatching onto Goku's shirt.

Hairiyu took a glance back; the energy attack metres away from them. Gohan, Piccolo, Goten and Trunks were still hidden away somewhere; Tenshinhan and possibly Chaozu were still alive! They had to save them all too!

"W-Wait!" She cried.


	100. Chapter 099

**Chapter 099 – World of the Kaioshin**

The world around her spun as the blinding pink light consumed all of that around them. For what must have been only a brief moment in time, it felt as if everything around her had stopped. Nothing existed, nothing was real and she was stuck within a void with those she clung onto. Gohan, Piccolo, Goten, and Trunks – her little brother – were all there before suddenly they vanished within the blurred world.

Suddenly she was crashing onto the green grass, no sign of an energy attack in sight. The pink light had completely vanished as she blinked several times, brain numb for a while.

"You made it!" An elderly man cheered; he bore a striking resemblance to Kaioshin.

Confused but still pumped full of adrenaline, she scrambled to her feet rather quickly, almost knocking Dende back over! Hairiyu looked around. The green grass below her feet made her feel she was still on Earth, yet the purple skies and many moons dotted across the bright skies were a clear indicator this was not her home planet. Confused and scared she already knew what had just happened, she turned to Goku. "Where are we?"

Goku was slumped on his knees, fists rolled into balls as he grasped onto the ground, head hung low. He didn't answer.

"... What about Trunks? What about Gohan?" Hairiyu asked, breathing becoming louder as she did her best to control her gathering emotions. She couldn't sense the Earth – or rather she couldn't sense anyone she knew had still been left on the planet the moment it had exploded. Was it because they were too far away... or was it because the Earth was gone?

Of course it was the latter. She knew it in her heart and in her mind but her love screamed at her to deny it for as long as possible. Everything she'd known, the people she'd ever dared to love had finally all been torn away at the hands of a monster and she had been powerless to stop it.

"... I'm sorry..." Goku mumbled remorseful, not even raising his head to look up at her. "Gohan and the boys... and the Earth..."

Disheartened and struggling to keep herself calm, Hairiyu looked around at her surroundings. She, Dende, Goku, her father, Mr Satan and the puppy he'd been carrying around were all here, along with two men dressed in clothes resembling that of Kaioshin and Kibito. No one seemed to know what to do or say until finally the Saiyan Prince had enough, his temper flaring when his eyes fell upon those who'd been rescued.

"Well what do we have here?" Vegeta growled through gritted teeth, eyes burning. He marched over to Goku, grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt and dragging him up off the ground. "Idiot, how could you save these two and a puppy before your own sons? Are you out of your mind?" He spat indifferent to the Saiyan who now knelt on his knees.

Hairiyu frowned, lip quivering. Had she kept her head she could have easily grabbed Mr Satan, Dende and the puppy whilst Goku could have gone after Piccolo and the boys. Why was it all the ideas would come to her after the event had taken place? Goku still did not respond and the awkward uncomfortable silence was driving her mad. "I'm sorry dad," she apologised, "I froze... If I hadn't had done, Goku could have gone to save the others..."

Vegeta glanced over at his daughter before tossing Goku back down to the floor. He folded his arms and turned away.

"What happened to the Earth?" Kibitoshin asked the aged man standing off to one side.

"It's gone," The elderly man replied. "Buu blew it to bits."

"The Earth is gone you say?" Mr Satan asked with a smirk, cracking up with laughter. "Where are we then? What do you think this is we're standing on? Senile old coot!" The foolish human man clearly had no grasp on the concept though no one could really blame him: even as a champion he was still just as clued up as any other human. None of the majority of Earthlings even knew aliens existed so it was no doubt going to be a culture shock to him to learn that his home planet had been destroyed and he was the last pure-blooded human alive.

'_Come to think of it... Who are these two?'_ Hairiyu wondered staring at Kaioshin and the elder Kaioshin and ignoring Mr Satan's insult.

"H-How rude! You should bow down and show some respect!" Dende stuttered nervously towards Mr Satan who didn't look any more convinced. "These two are both Kaioshin! Above Kami stand the Kaio; the lord of worlds. Above them stands the Daikaio; their grand leader. Above him stands the lord of lords; the Kaioshin! Where we stand right now must be their sacred ground; this is their own planet."

"... So they're both Kaioshin?" Hairiyu asked raising a confused eyebrow. "Where's the other Kaioshin we met at the tournament?"

"I'm he," Kibitoshin raised a hand, "The Kaioshin you're referring to and Kibito both fused with the potara earrings; I'm the result of that fusion."

"... Wait..." Mr Satan butted in still none the wiser. "If these Kaioshin guys are so great, why didn't they stop Buu?" His question caught both Kaioshin by surprise and both awkwardly shunned away as Mr Satan dismissed Dende's explanation. "Nice try kid; it's bad enough telling me you're a god!"

"Dende is a god!" Hairiyu protested.

"I get what's going on now! Yeah! It has to be!" Mr Satan loudly spoke. "This is all a dream! I thought it was bizarre! Nobody's stronger than me, the champion of the world! Buu doesn't even exist and all you guys are dream people! I must have fallen asleep at the Tenkaichi Budokai! I bet I can fly in my dream too!"

The human rushed over towards a nearby ledge, his puppy chasing him along. He stopped and threw one fist into the air, shouting loudly:

"Hey you! Majin Buu! How dare you kill Videl and blow up the Earth in my private dream! I'm gonna fly through the galaxy and punish you!" With one leap, Mr Satan jumped up into the air... falling and crashing to the ground with a thud.

Hairiyu struggled to contain her laughter but failed miserably and collapsed to the floor in hysterics despite the gloomy mood. She couldn't help it; the absurdity of this man's behaviour was very entertaining even if this was supposed to be a more sombre time.

"Kakarrot... After all we did to save the others you let them die to save that fool?" Vegeta spat not amused by the human's antics. "The Earth and the dead will be gone forever. The Dragonballs were destroyed along with the Earth!"

"W-What?" The elderly Kaioshin's eyes widened almost to the point where it looked as if they'd fall from their sockets! "D-Dragonballs?" He spluttered, "What are Dragonballs doing on Earth? Only Namekians are supposed to have them! They're like... like cosmic cheat codes!"

"Of course!" Dende cried with realisation. "The Namekian Dragonballs! Go to Planet Namek! Surely the new elder would have made new Dragonballs by now! The Earth and all those killed can still be resurrected!"

"He's right!" Hairiyu gasped ecstatically, grabbing hold of Dende's hands and jumping on the spot. "You're a genius Dende!"

"There's just one problem you guys," Goku wasn't so enthusiastic. "Planet Namek is so far away; I can't even sense any Namekians from here so I wouldn't be able to teleport us there. We'd need a spaceship of some sort to get there."

"...Which we don't have..." Dende frowned.

"Um... I don't really know what these Dragonballs are but I can teleport from here to any other planet..." Kibitoshin spoke up, "...It's Kibito's ability. Just tell me where you wanna get to and I'll get you there."

"...Yeah, that just might work!" Goku grinned growing more and more hopeful that Dende's plan could actually be possible to do.

"No! You mustn't overuse the Dragonballs!" The elder Kaioshin yelled. "They'll hurl the cosmic order into chaos! Long ago I warned the Namekians to use them only on their planet! They never interfered in other planet's fates!"

"Aww come on, don't be so stingy..." Goku edged closer to the old Kaioshin. "I'll get you a naughty picture of that girl I know."

Hairiyu's eyes narrowed, interested in what Goku was talking about as well as being a little grossed out! He was sounding a little too much like Master Roshi to her!

"You know you want it! She's not that young anymore but she's still hot!" Goku slyly added.

"... But she's dead," the old Kaioshin muttered.

'_Good, it's not me!'_ Hairiyu wiped the sweat from her brow and exhaled with relief.

"Not if the Dragonballs bring her back to life!" Goku pointed out to the Kaioshin who now seemed to be lulling it over.

"... Hey, Kakarrot..." Vegeta butted in. "You'd better not be talking about Bulma."

Goku's face lit up like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. The look did not go unnoticed by either Vegeta or Hairiyu and Hairiyu's mouth dropped open with horror and disbelief. "You idiot!"

"You bastard!" Vegeta bellowed furiously. "Go behind people's backs when they're dead and steal someone else's woman? Why don't you give him a picture of your own woman?"

"B-But she'll kill me... and she's flat-chested!" Goku protested nervously. "Bulma's got far more bounce left in her!"

"Goku!" Hairiyu snapped in disgust and embarrassment. "That's my mama you're talking about!" She couldn't believe he could be so insensitive to even put her mother up to something so disrespectful and embarrassing as that! Where was he even going to get these pictures from and just how perverted were they supposed to be? No, she did not want to find out or even imagine it! That was her mother of all people and she wouldn't let Goku take advantage of the situation!

It was only then she realised Goku was looking directly at her. She could see the light going off in his head. Aggression and fury quickly filled her body and she tensed up, fists shaking by her sides.

"Hey Hairiyu," Goku smiled, "could I ask a-"

"Finish that sentence and I guarantee you Majin Buu will be the least of your problems!" Hairiyu snarled quickly and venomously, eyebrows creasing the centre of her face as she clenched her jaw and the muscles in her arms. She was not going to be subjected to this!

"Look!" Kibitoshin's cry cut through the tension. "Majin Buu's regenerating!"

The group gathered around the tiny crystal ball sat on the grass. Sure enough the pink monster was starting to form again in the vastness of space. Hairiyu clenched her teeth; that spot in space had been where her home planet had once been...

"Quick, give them your potara!" The old Kaioshin ordered.

"Right," Kibitoshin removed both his earrings and threw one each to both Saiyans. "Take these before anymore planets are destroyed!"

Both Goku and Vegeta seemed to hesitate.

"... What's wrong?" Hairiyu asked looking at the two uncertain to what they were thinking.

"... No thanks," Goku smiled, "We'll do without them. Sorry but it's not our style. We like to rely on ourselves and besides, Buu's on his own now."

"What? You fool! Who cares about that?" The old Kaioshin yelled. "This isn't a tournament match! The fate of the entire universe is riding on this!"

"Well said Kakarrot," Vegeta smirked. "Allow me to put an end to this discussion." With that the Saiyan prince crushed his earring. "Spoken like a true Saiyan."

"... Well I guess that sorts out that dilemma," Hairiyu sighed with a nervous smile. She was relieved to know her dad would be staying the way he was rather than merging with Goku. It had seemed strange to have to think of Gohan as her brother rather than her best friend!

"Don't worry, we'll think of a plan. Buu can't come here," Goku reassured the two stunned Kaioshin. "If he blows up anymore planets, we'll bring them back with the Dragonballs."

The conversation was abruptly cut short as Buu suddenly appeared before them, temporarily snatching the breath and speaking-ability of the group.

"B-BUU!"

"How did he get here?" Vegeta growled, instinctively lowering into a battle stance.

"He must have seen Kibitoshin use Instantaneous Movement and learned it instantly!" Goku realised.

"What do we do now?" Hairiyu asked, almost expecting to hear Buu scream again as he had done on Earth!

"We'll settle it here," Vegeta smirked, slapping one fist into his cupped hand. He seemed eager for battle.

"Kibitoshin, you and the others should take safety on another planet," Goku warned.

"Y-Yes, right!" Kibitokai nodded obediently and ushered Dende and the elder Kaioshin towards him.

"You're hopeless!" the elderly Kaioshin yelled. "Fine, do what you want! This planet won't break so easily!"

"Good luck Goku, you too Vegeta and Hairiyu!" Dende begrudgingly wandered over to the two Kaioshin. In a flash the trio had vanished.

Hairiyu sucked in a deep breath of air and turned her attention to the older Saiyans. "Anyone got a plan?" She asked nervously, fresh out of bright ideas herself.

"... Yeah, I think I know how we can settle this," Goku nodded.

"Who goes first?" Vegeta asked seeming to know what his rival was getting at.

"Let's find out," Goku smiled.

"Alright Kakarrot, you're asking for it!"

"What are you...?" Hairiyu raised an eyebrow, eyes widening in disbelief as her father and Goku got into a familiar stance.

"Ro-sham-bo!" The two Saiyans chanted several times, each time throwing their hand out in a game of rock-paper-scissors. Hairiyu did not participate, she was far too shocked and paralysed with disbelief to see the fate of the universe being decided on such a game. Sure they'd done it during the battles against Babidi's soldiers in his spaceship but this was different – this battle would be vital to the fate of the universe!

"Yes I win!" Goku finally cheered happily; his fist rolled into a ball as he threw it to the air. Vegeta resentfully looked down at his parted fingers, grunting and folding his arms in annoyance as he dropped out of his Super Saiyan form.

"... Hey, hold on a minute!" Hairiyu pouted suddenly coming back to life and realising she'd just missed out! "That's not fair! I didn't even know we were doing ro-sham-bo to determine who fought Buu!"

"Alright, then let's see which one of us wins?" Goku smiled.

Hairiyu paused for a moment, contemplating what was about to happen. If she won then this would be how many times she'd tried to battle Majin Buu in his different forms...? Up to now she made it about five or six: all of which she'd lost. Her mind whizzed around as alarm bells rang loudly. "... Maybe it's better if you fight," She suggested. "It's not like I haven't already had about five chances to beat him! You go first Goku."

"Coward," Vegeta mumbled quietly pouting about his loss.

"If you insist," Goku nodded, turning to glance at Buu and bringing clenched fists to his side. "I'd better go full throttle. The entire universe will be doomed if we lose!"

"I want to see this Super Saiyan 3 form for myself!" Vegeta demanded softly, starting to walk away from the other Saiyan. Hairiyu followed her father, taking a quick glance back as she heard Goku training off talking to himself. Were they supposed to be listening to him? Hairiyu wasn't sure and so followed her father as the duo launched themselves into the air and took refuge on a nearby cliff, overseeing the immediate area. Now she had a better view of their surroundings Hairiyu realised just how similar this place was to Earth. The planet was covered in patches of green grass with several mesas reaching up into the air. There were hills and mountains as a backdrop but apart from that the land was relatively flat.

Goku's ki began to surge, climbing at that unbelievable rate she'd felt the last time he'd fought the fat version of Buu. The wind howled past the warriors on the cliff as the Saiyan opposing Buu transformed into a Super Saiyan 3. She felt the planet shuddering under the pressure, managing to stick her feet firmly to the ground. Even if it was the third or fourth time she'd seen him transform into this form it still left her speechless and shaking from the sheer power.

Buu shrieked and started to pound his fists into his chest.

"... What is he? A monkey?" Hairiyu snorted in amusement. She knew in monkeys this kind of behaviour was a display of aggression; what the pink monster would have in store for the Saiyan was unknown. He didn't seem to be as strong as the previous Buu had been once he'd absorbed Gohan, Gotenks and Piccolo but right now it was difficult to tell what to expect. His behaviour seemed even more bizarre and wild compared to the two previous Buu forms she'd seen; both of whom had seemed to have better linguistic skills and were a little more restrained though by no means less deadly.

"This is it," Vegeta muttered, "This battle will decide the fate of the galaxy."

Her father's words left a sobering feeling over Hairiyu as she looked over to Goku, heart starting to pound in her ribcage. There was no denying it; the entire universe's fate now rested in Goku's hands.

The battle ensued.

Goku was fast, his hits powerful. Buu was just as fast, just as powerful. His nimble and malleable body prevented Goku's regular attacks from doing much in the way of physical damage. Even the Kamehameha left Buu with more than enough body to regenerate in an instant. Both fighters dealt terrifyingly powerful moves against their opponent, recovering and retaliating back.

Every strike reverberated through her body; Hairiyu kept keen eyes on the fighters as they continued to battle. Her heart was now racing, attempting to break free from her ribcage. The pressure on Goku must have been fantastic; as of now he was the only one out of the three who stood a chance. Hairiyu felt honoured and humble to be able to see such an incredible and important battle unfold before her very eyes...

The ground shuddered violently as Buu fired off a Kamehameha straight for the Saiyan, shrouding the warrior in a thick cloud of smoke. Another Kamehameha shot from the dusty cloud, engulfing Buu's body. Hairiyu could barely make out Buu's body disintegrating in the bright light.

It didn't last for long. Buu quickly began to regenerate.

"... It's not enough..." Vegeta frowned.

"Yeah, Goku's ki isn't big enough to take Buu out," Hairiyu nodded.

Vegeta suddenly bolted from the spot he'd been standing on, heading straight for Goku.

"H-Hey, wait up!" Hairiyu cried, leaping from the ground and chasing her father not wanting to be left behind. From a distance she could see the fatigue in Goku's posture; now a lot closer to him, she could hear his breathlessness and see the strain his body was under. His breath was short and shallow, body hunched over slightly as he hovered in the air.

"...You wanna switch already?" The Super Saiyan 3 was talking to her father. "I've still got some fight left."

"Quit lying; I know you don't intend to switch, you can't fool me," Vegeta replied. "You know what would happen; Buu would tear me apart!"

"W-What? No... you'd do fine..."

"Don't try to make me feel better," Vegeta butted in. "Buu is stronger than me at this level... and so, Kakarrot, are you."

"... Those are words I never thought I'd hear coming outta your mouth," Hairiyu stared dumbfounded at her father. She'd never heard him speak in such a way about himself before. Her father was always the haughty, confident, fighter no matter who his opponent was; right now that part of him was gone. It shocked her to hear her father being so level-headed and calm about this; wasn't his pride hurting from admitting this?

"Don't mind us, finish Buu off!" Vegeta smiled. "You're a Super Saiyan 3; you should be able to generate more than enough power to obliterate Buu!"

"Y-Yeah, he's right, Hairiyu nodded cheerfully, "Besides you're Goku; you always manage to beat the bad guy!"

"Well I'm flattered you have so much faith in me and all but I've been trying to do just that! I haven't had the chance!" Goku responded. "It would take me a minute to get all the power I need!"

"A minute?" Vegeta and Hairiyu repeated in unison.

"The potara could have done it... Maybe I tried to act too cool but I thought this would work out better!" Goku cursed looking rather frustrated.

"... You're not... holding back for us?" Vegeta asked, Hairiyu noticing her father's eye twitching. She drifted away from him slightly, sensing the annoyance radiating off him.

"He just keeps dragging this out," Goku growled looking over to Bu who was now doing some bizarre dance with his stomach! "He's having the time of his life!"

"You need a minute to charge your energy high enough?" Hairiyu asked disheartened. "That's insane! How is Buu going to give you all that time? Even if dad or I fought him, I doubt we could last a minute against Buu!"

"... You have one minute."

Both Hairiyu and Goku stared at the prince.

"Build up your ki," Vegeta ordered.

"V-Vegeta, you're planning to hold him off? It'll take a whole minute!" Goku cried.

"So hurry!" Vegeta barked, glancing at his daughter. "If either I or you fought him alone, maybe it wouldn't work but if we work together, maybe we can last a minute against this freak."

Hairiyu gulped and clenched her fists in anticipation, burrowing her brow and giving a nod. "Right."

"Hey, hold on you two-"

"Goku, concentrate on gathering your energy," Hairiyu interrupted.

"B-But right now Vegeta's already dead; he could die again; both of you could be killed!" Goku pointed out.

"If we can't last one lousy minute then perhaps we deserve to die," Vegeta snarled.

"We'll be alright. Both of us are aware of just how strong Buu is but don't you dare underestimate us," Hairiyu growled. "We're not stupid. We know this'll be a losing battle for the both of us, which is why you need to hurry up and gather your ki!"

"... Fine..." With a roar Goku's ki burst around his body. "Be careful... especially you Vegeta. You're already dead; if you die again you'll be gone from this world and the other world... There will be nothing anyone can do to bring you back... So stay alive."

"... Thanks but I'm already dead," Vegeta smirked.

Alarm bells had gone off in Hairiyu's head. Now she was concerned for her father's wellbeing. She'd almost forgotten he was dead; the halo had more or less been phased out from her vision. Going against Buu had a high, almost certain risk of death; knowing that if her father died again he would not exist made her nervous. She would do everything she could to make sure that didn't happen.

"You ready to go?" Vegeta asked, smirking as if he was almost enjoying the moment.

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded, a smile coming to her face.

With a loud scream both fighters transformed into their Super Saiyan 2 form.

Behind them Goku began to rev up his ki.

They were off.


	101. Chapter 100

**Chapter 100 – Vegeta's Strategy**

The three Saiyans hovered in a small group before the Majin; Goku almost shielded by Vegeta and Hairiyu as the two warriors gathered all of their energies ready to battle a losing fight against the seemingly unstoppable monster. Goku himself was charging up his own ki to attempt to put a final stop to Buu whilst his rival and his rival's daughter stalled for time. In they charged; Vegeta and Hairiyu uttered a couple of exchanges before finally lunging towards Buu.

Buu, who had been dancing and wriggling his pliable body, glanced straight at the two as they closed in on him. Hurriedly he returned to normal, an insane smile on his face with a look of anticipation.

Vegeta charged on ahead and held his hands above his head, conjuring up a powerful ki blast as he closed in on Buu. Hairiyu deliberately stayed behind her father, staying out of harm's way and charging up her own energy attack in both hands. With a roar both fighters chucked down their ki blasts straight for the Majin. Buu's lower half vanished as Vegeta's attack hit; nothing but his head remained as Hairiyu's attack struck him in the chest. He vanished into a cloud of light and dust as Vegeta relentlessly started firing energy blasts down to the monster. Hairiyu shot past him and dived down through her father's energy barrage, vanishing into the thick cloud. Her vision was almost useless but her sense of touch was proving valuable; she could feel the vibrations of the energy blasts striking the ground and could identify how far she was from it.

Something was wrong.

Hairiyu could still sense Buu's ki; it baffled her that Buu's ki wasn't decreasing at all despite her father's onslaught! There were small movements around her yet nothing substantial enough to suggest Buu was around. Confusion struck her; now that she thought about it she couldn't see or sense Buu anywhere near to her...

Then it clicked.

"DAD!" Hairiyu gasped to herself, hurriedly spinning around and shooting back up into the air as fast as she could. She shot out of the cloud of dust, a little to the side from where Vegeta's attacks were raining down from.

Buu was behind him and held both arms above his head; Vegeta seemed to sense his presence but it was too late. The monster smashed his fists down into the defenceless Saiyan's skull sending Vegeta bolting straight for the ground. Hairiyu charged after her father reaching him inches before he struck the ground, catching him in mid-air. The force of his movement dragged her down with him and the two skidded across the ground to a halt. Not really stopping as soon as they landed, Hairiyu pounced forwards releasing her father from her grasp as she did so, throwing herself back up to Buu to attack.

It had been twenty seconds.

Both Vegeta and Hairiyu were locked in close-combat with Buu, each guarding the other's blind-spots and proving to work as a decent combination. Vegeta had spent the majority of the last seven years training alongside his daughter; both were aware of the other's battle-style and movement. However Buu still was proving to be more than capable of taking them both on, gleaming with joy as he did so. A slap to her jaw sent Hairiyu shooting backwards; her father suddenly on the receiving end of a beating as Buu grabbed him by his shirt and began to pound on him. The female fighter crashed and bounced head over heels across the ground landing awkwardly on her stomach, flinching with a hiss through gritted teeth as she came to a stop. Grumbling under her breath she rose to a squatting position-

Buu's head-tentacle suddenly wrapped itself around her leg; Buu still far off in the air pounding her father. Hairiyu yelped with surprise as she was yanked from the floor and tossed through the sky unable to halt herself, slamming head-first to the rocky ground with a heavy crash and clutter of displaced soil and rocky fragments.

Twenty-five seconds had gone.

Hairiyu choked and coughed, blood dripping from her chin as she once again rose to her hands and knees though this time not as quickly as before. Her vision was slightly blurred and she felt a little dizzy from the impact against the ground. _'... Get up... Hairiyu get to your feet!'_ She hounded her body to move.

Her father's scream sent chills across her body. With little awareness of how it'd happened she was once again on her feet, running before leaping off the ground and up into the air, charging at Buu from behind; Buu thankfully still taking an interest in Vegeta.

Or so she thought.

The monster spun around, dodging her incoming punch and catching her by surprise. Hairiyu's vision worsened as a kick connected with the side of her head, disorientating her as she stumbled a couple of paces in midair before falling back down onto the soil below; the battle quickly taking to the ground as Buu chased after her. Another strike to her chest sent her scraping across the jagged hard surface; Hairiyu cried out. Her chest felt like it was on fire; how had Goku been able to stand up to these strong attacks?

Buu's feet slammed directly down onto her face.

Blurry objects slowly turned back to the many moons of the sky above her. Hairiyu lay amongst a pile of dislodged rocks: head, torso and lumbar pain almost numbing the rest of her body or at least taking her focus from the rest of it. Her breathing was rough and short; the blow to the ground must have winded her and her stomach felt as if it was burning. A particularly sharp pain in her waist told her a couple of her ribs had been shattered making her breathing all the more difficult. With great difficulty she sat herself up, wiping the blood from her chin almost absentmindedly. Her attention wafted across the landscape before her for a while until it occurred to her where she actually was and what was going on.

Before her, Vegeta was stumbling over to Buu nearby; his face and body a bloody mess, battered and bruised by the beating Buu had delivered to him. Still the monster was as energetic and sadistically content as ever, taunting the Saiyan Prince as he struggled to approach him.

'_... If he can do it then so can I...'_

Against her body and mind's judgement, Hairiyu rose to her feet amazed at how heavy her body suddenly felt on her legs, steps awkward and uncoordinated as she broke into a run, charging up ki into her palm. She had Buu clean in her sights and a desperate desire to not be outdone by her father's willpower to continue to fight. She could do it too: she had to do it too! Goku needed time to gather all of his ki to defeat the Majin and she wasn't going to be the reason for his failure to do so!

A loud crack sent Vegeta shooting into the ground dislodging several large chunks of rock from the grassy ground, Buu charging straight for the floored Saiyan with a bizarre cry of madness. Vegeta did not get up immediately and he was not going to be able to avoid Buu's oncoming attack. Seizing her chance whilst he was unsuspecting, Hairiyu bolted forwards and threw her palm forward with all the energy she could muster, slapping Buu clean in the side of his skull. The landing did not go so well for her, Hairiyu once again losing her footing and falling forward several steps uncontrollably. She couldn't stop herself and ended up tripping over her father who was still floored, crashing head-first to the ground with a thud. Buu vanished with a loud explosion into a nearby rock formation, landing flat on his feet amongst the dust.

Shakily Hairiyu tried to get up, body still refusing to respond and now far more difficult to ignore the pain she was in. She was sure she'd only taken a couple of blows from Buu and yet her body felt as if she'd far too much damage for the amount of hits. Was this Buu really that much stronger than her? It was a terrifying thought to think despite the amount of strength she'd gained from every defeat that this monster could still be so much further ahead and increasing the lead with every fight.

Buu's tentacle suddenly wrapped its way around her throat, Hairiyu's eyes widened with alarm as it started to tighten and strangle her. Hairiyu desperately grasped for air as Buu pulled her up off the ground, her hands struggling to get hold of Buu's flesh. Red spots began to appear in her vision, her body panicking as it demanded more oxygen, her lungs unable to work properly. Try as she might she was unable to free herself from his grasp; she couldn't even expel any words nor scream. Vision began to dim and blur, mind now screaming for air. She couldn't gather any ki like this to free herself, her limbs were falling heavily beside her body, the world around her darkening.

Heavily she suddenly dropped to her knees, crashing face-first to the floor. The first chance she was given to breathe was snatched and she felt the cool air fill her throat and cool the inside of her chest as it heaved, body shaking almost drunk on the air she was now able to breathe. Through it all she barely managed to make out her father's voice, unable to understand what he was saying. Instinct took over and she gulped down hurried, frantic breaths of oxygen, adrenaline pumping through her body. She tried to calm her panicked state of mind, eventually managing to open her eyes. Her arms and legs were jittery as she made to sit on her legs, glancing over to where Buu and Vegeta now were.

Her father was being throttled in the air, just as she had been. Terror took over her mind; she still hadn't recovered and couldn't charge in with such low energy! Hairiyu's eyes diverted up, from the looks of it Goku was still charging up his ki! What was going on, surely it'd been more than a minute since she and her father had started their futile struggle against Buu and yet he still wasn't finished?

"G-Goku! It's been more than a minute!" She yelled panicked.

Buu mercilessly began to slam her father through nearby mesas and boulders, Vegeta vanishing through the rocky moulds with incredible force still held by the throat by the sadistic monster; his hands struggling to loosen the grip.

"Dammit!" Hairiyu clamped her eyes closed, willing herself to get up. _'He's already dead! Dad can't die again!'_ She couldn't watch her father be tortured like this but didn't know how to make it stop; Buu was just too powerful for her and she was in no condition to charge at him again. Her body shuddered and shook under the adrenaline it was forced under, limbs shaking still deprived of adequate oxygen.

Another crash and Vegeta was tossed head-first to the ground, brought back up into the air, Buu tightening his hold. With his free hand he began to charge up an energy attack.

'_If that hits he'll be killed!'_ Enough was enough, even if she wasn't in any condition to effectively do something she had to move and attempt to stop this! Hairiyu struggled to get up, falling to the side as she lost her balance, unintentionally crashing onto her already broken ribs and howling out a little, hissing through her teeth trying to deal with the agony. It couldn't end like this; she had to get up and save her dad! Frustration gripped her; she had little energy left. It had been over a minute and still Goku wasn't done! If she didn't move and go in to help she would never be able to see her father again: once he died again there would be no trace of him left, Goku'd told them both that! _'No! I refuse to let this happen! Move dammit, MOVE!'_

"BUU!" The loud burly voice caught everyone's attention. Startled Hairiyu looked over, eyes wide in shock and a little afraid of what was to come. Mr Satan stood upon a raised segment of grass looking confident with his fists on his hips, an assuring smile on his face. "Do you think you can get away with this?" He yelled rhetorically. "I'm the champion of the world and I will allow this to continue no longer! You'll be sorry you ever incurred the wrath of Mr Satan!"

'_What the hell is that idiot doing?'_ Hairiyu raised an eyebrow. "Mr Satan, get away! He'll kill you!" She yelled; this had to stop before this little Buu claimed more victims. The thought hadn't occurred to her about the Kaioshin forgetting to bring Mr Satan along with them though perhaps because of his insults they'd deliberately left him? Her warning fell on deaf ears. Buu seemed intrigued and interested in the foolish human. Vegeta was quickly released, dropping to the ground and landing with a thud. He wasn't moving which alarmed Hairiyu.

Suddenly Buu charged for Satan with an ecstatic shriek; Mr Satan suddenly cowering and miraculously dodging Buu's attack ducking and protecting his head with a weak defence!

"No way!" Hairiyu choked shocked. "He dodged?" She couldn't quite believe what she was seeing as once again Buu's strike missed the human who now had his hands together as if praying or begging, the latter of which he was actually doing!

Then to everyone's surprise Buu hunched over, screaming and clasping his head in pain. Hairiyu observed intensely, largely ignoring Mr Satan's taunts to the monster. He was holding onto his head; Hairiyu had little clue what was going on...

"K-Kakarrot... How much longer?"

Hairiyu glanced over relieved to see her father still alive and conscious, though it was clear by the shake of his voice he'd taken a lot of damage and was still weak from the lack of oxygen. He had a point; it had been well over a minute – in fact it'd been several since she and her dad had charged into that futile battle and still Goku was gathering ki!

Buu stood upright, quietening down, not that anyone but Mr Satan noticed at this point.

"I don't understand it," Goku cried back down towards them. "I was getting close to full power but I'm losing ki again!"

"L-Losing ki?" Hairiyu gasped.

Buu launched something out from his mouth, something small. Fat Buu suddenly appeared shooting away, crumpling on the ground and coming to a halt with a light cloud of dust passing over him.

"B-BUU?" Mr Satan gasped.

"... What?" Hairiyu turned to the man and raised an eyebrow baffled. "What the hell's going on? How did the fat Buu suddenly appear?"

Whilst Buu was still distracted with Mr Satan, Hairiyu crawled over to where her father was, keeping a close eye in case Buu would decide to charge her. Spitting the fat Buu out seemed to have made no difference to this Buu's power, much to her annoyance. One weak punch sent Mr Satan rolling across the floor holding his face screaming, "Not the nose! I thought dreams weren't supposed to hurt!"

"He actually hit him..." Hairiyu mumbled unimpressed by Buu's lack of aim though whatever seemed to have been causing him trouble didn't seem to be doing so anymore. "How did the other Buu get inside that little Buu?" She mused.

"We saw him when we rescued the others," Vegeta responded attempting to sit himself up. "The fat Buu had been turned into chocolate and eaten by the other Buu. When we found him he was sealed inside of Buu, just like the boys and Piccolo."

"... Weird..." Hairiyu nodded trying to get her head around the idea. Since when had her father and Goku been inside of Buu? There were many questions she still needed to ask about the fight once the two Saiyans had fused but now was not the time. Buu made a charge for Mr Satan; the human cowering and covering his head-

A sudden surge of ki bursting into the scene caught all three Saiyans by surprise. A bolt of pink ki flashed between Buu and Mr Satan, catching both of them off-guard and almost making Mr Satan lose balance and stumble onto his backside!

Several metres away, the fat Buu stood with one arm held out, his gaze fixed on the little Buu... or so they all thought since his eyes were closed!

"What?" Vegeta stammered with shock.

"He's alive!" Hairiyu gasped.

The fat Buu charged the shorter Buu, the two beginning to fight whilst Mr Satan cowered away a little until he felt he was safe.

Vegeta rose to his feet, hunching over slightly and leaning on his knees. "Kakarrot, how long is this going to take?" He demanded not bothering to glance up. "Haven't you got enough ki already?"

Hairiyu glanced away from the fight, stunned to see Goku was still charging energy! It had been at least five minutes now; something wasn't right and it was either Goku'd made a gross misjudgement of the amount of time he needed or something else was going on.

"I don't get it... It shouldn't be like this!" Goku replied. "I'm actually losing ki!"

The golden glow, electrical aura and long golden hair vanished leaving the shocked, speechless Saiyan hovering above the ground glancing down in disbelief.

"No! You're kidding me!" Vegeta cried.

Goku had lost his Super Saiyan 3 form.

The shuddering ground accompanied by a loud bang pulled the attention away from Goku and back over to the fight between the two Buus. The little Buu charged fat Buu head-on, obliterating the fat Buu's head as he shot clean through it, laughing and pointing at the headless Buu. Fat Buu's head suddenly popped out of his neck; Hairiyu guessing he'd regenerated.

"Atta boy Buu! Go beat that scrawny kid!" Mr Satan cheered.

"Sorry, I can't beat him," Buu replied with a saddened smile, taken by surprise as the little Buu rammed his shoulder into bigger Buu's cheek sending him tumbling across the ground.

"This is turning to an utter disaster!" Vegeta grumbled clenching his fists and rising to his feet. One of his arms had taken severe damage and he held onto it gingerly as the fight drew out. Hairiyu nodded silently to her father's comment. At present Goku's ki had been spent, she and her father were low on energy and the little Buu seemed to have the advantage over fat Buu. The sound of feet clapping the ground drew her away from the battling Buu's; Goku bent over gasping for breath, exasperated from the power up attempt.

"You were supposed to be powering up, not turning back to normal!" Vegeta grunted angrily sending a furious look to the tired man behind them.

"Dammit, what gives? It worked when I was dead..." Goku frowned frustrated. "I guess it takes too much energy to sustain Super Saiyan 3 when you're alive..."

"...I guess so; Gotenks couldn't stay as a Super Saiyan 3 for long either," Hairiyu nodded glumly. "Rest for a bit then try again, surely you'd be able to if you-"

"No, I can't..." Goku shook his head, a saddened smile on his face. "My power's spent... I'm at the end of my rope."

Nearby the battle between the Buu's was slowly being decided. The little Buu clearly held an advantage over the tiring fat Buu. Try as he might, nothing seemed to work and it looked as if the fatter Buu was starting to take physical damage.

'_Come on Buu...'_ Hairiyu gulped.

"It's only a matter of time..." Goku frowned.

Goku was right. The fatter Buu was now being overwhelmed by the little Buu. Everything he tried was either brushed off or thrown back in his face. At this rate the fat Buu would be killed and then it would only be a matter of time before they too followed him...

"Kibitoshin, Dende! Old Kaioshin!" Vegeta bellowed loudly, startling Hairiyu and making her jump! "You're watching us, aren't you? If you can hear me, answer me now!"

"_Oh... Y-Yes we can hear you!"_ The old Kaioshin's voice answered.

"Good! Go to the new planet Namek and gather their Dragonballs!" Vegeta ordered.

"_Um... but why?"_ Dende's voice asked.

"Do it before we run out of time!" Vegeta barked.

"Vegeta, why do you need the Dragonballs? Isn't it a little early to use them?" Goku asked uncertain.

"... Kakarrot, how many times have you saved the Earth?"

"What? How many? I dunno... half a dozen I guess. What's this all about?"

"Perhaps it's time for the people of Earth to do their share of the work!"

"Their share?" Hairiyu repeated baffled. The Earthlings were all dead – apart from Mr Satan – how were they supposed to...? _'Oh... The Dragonballs...'_ She gulped and contemplated the idea, not convinced. Sure they could use the Dragonballs to wish everyone back to life but what good would that do?

It didn't take long until Dende got in contact with them again. _"Vegeta! We have all seven Dragonballs ready!"_

"Good; summon Porunga now!" Vegeta ordered. "I have two wishes I'd like to make! First, I want to restore the Earth to its original state! For the second wish I want to bring back everyone who's died since the day of the tournament, except for the bad guys!"

"_... Right now?"_

"Yes right now!"

"Dende," Goku spoke up. "Vegeta must have a plan; do as he says."

"_Alright. What would you like your third wish to be?"_

"Whatever you want; only those two wishes matter to me," Vegeta replied.

Hairiyu smiled impressed; she was glad her father was here with them. "So what's the plan?" She inquired.

"Wouldn't it have been easier to ask Porunga to resurrect everyone killed by Buu?" Goku asked.

"Idiot; that would bring Babidi and Dabura back to life..." Vegeta snorted, "... and didn't I kill people at the tournament?"

"... Man, you really think fast," Goku mused.

"That's my dad!" Hairiyu beamed proudly.

"_Vegeta, I almost forgot! We can't make the second wish; Porunga can only bring one person back to life per wish!"_

"What?" Vegeta gasped.

"Oh yeah! I remember!" Hairiyu realised. "On Namek we had four people to wish back and only three wishes because Porunga said we could only bring back one person at a time! In the end we had to use our first wish to bring back Piccolo so the Earth's Dragonballs could be restored!"

"Now what?" Goku frowned.

"_Wait, Vegeta! Seems I was wrong! This may work after all!"_

Vegeta exhaled a sigh, "Good, then do it."

Waiting for the news of the wishes seemed to take an eternity and all the while, fat Buu was being pummelled. His body was starting to show physical signs of damage and fatigue. The little Buu had ripped off an arm which was now being telekinetically used to smack the fat Buu around.

"Hang in there Buu," Hairiyu mumbled nervously.

"... Look, the fat Buu's power is going down," Vegeta noted. "They can be damaged if they're fighting another Buu."

"Come on Buu, hang in there," Goku gulped, "don't die!"

Vegeta glanced back up to the sky. "Dende, isn't he done yet?"

Hairiyu looked over to her father, about to scold him for being so impatient, when she noticed something different.

"H-Hey!" Goku squawked. "Your halo's gone! You've come back to life!"

Hairiyu cheered and grinned, "You realise that means Porunga thinks of you as a good guy!" She was so pleased to see her father back alive again though she knew the shock of it all hadn't had as much impact as it could have, since she'd been interacting with him all this time regardless of living status. At least he'd been given a third chance at life. With luck it wouldn't be short-lived.

"I think I know what you're planning to do," Goku smiled before Vegeta could react. "I'll bet you're planning to get Gohan and Gotenks to fight with us!"

"Wrong," Vegeta replied. "Kakarrot, get ready to make the Genki Dama."


	102. Chapter 101

**Chapter 101 – The Decider**

"Th-The Genki Dama?" Goku and Hairiyu gaped in unison, both watching the Saiyan Prince who'd just made the suggestion of using the Genki Dama to defeat Buu. Hairiyu couldn't help but feel sceptical about the entire thing. The only times the Genki Dama'd been used that Hairiyu could recall were against her father and Freeza. Both times the attack hadn't been strong enough to defeat the enemy. Sure it took a lot of their ki away and made them a little less of a threat but it'd always been used as a last resort on both occasions and had failed both times!

"It won't work" Goku cried worried. "Taking a bit of energy from everyone on Earth won't be nearly enough to beat-"

"Like I said, let the Earthlings save themselves for once!" Vegeta interrupted, "We won't be taking a little bit of energy, we're going to take as much as we can!"

He seemed so sure the attack would work which worried Hairiyu. Was her dad really not aware of its track record? He'd been on the receiving end of it and come back from it! Would taking all the energy the Earthlings have really make a difference? This Buu was definitely no push over, she had her doubts...

"_Vegeta, Porunga wants our third wish!"_ Dende's voice cut in.

"We don't need it!" Vegeta answered glancing back up to the sky, not that he really needed to. "Kibitoshin, I want to talk to the people of Earth! Can you arrange it?"

"_... You mean like Babidi? Sorry, I'm afraid not... I don't have that ability!"_ Kibitoshin replied with an uncertainty in his voice.

"What?" Vegeta bared his teeth; so it wouldn't be as clear cut as he'd hoped. They were down their vital method of contacting everyone for their energy – without it the Genki Dama wouldn't be strong enough...

"_Leave it to me! It's my speciality!"_

"That voice... It's Kaio!" Goku gasped.

'_Geez this place is beginning to sound like a chat-room!'_ Hairiyu mused to herself shaking her head with a light smile. So was everyone listening in on their conversation? It couldn't be helped; this was the battle to decide the fate of the universe.

"_Bingo, and I'm flattered Vegeta_" Kaio's voice responded cheerfully_, "choosing my Genki Dama as the closer! I can let you talk to everyone in the entire universe if you want!"_

"Let's not over-do it..." Vegeta muttered.

"_Alright, you've got the floor Vegeta! Whenever you're ready!"_ Kaio gave the all clear.

As Vegeta began to speak to the Earthlings, Hairiyu continued to watch Buu, a feeling of anticipation and excitement coming over her. Now Buu would pay. At the very least she was certain the Genki Dama would leave a large dent in Buu's power as it had done against her dad and Freeza. Sure in the past it had failed but this time it was different. This time they were using all the power the Earthlings could supply them with. She was intrigued with how much power they would supply to the attack and now that her dad's plan was being set into action, she couldn't wait to see the result.

"H-Hey."

Hairiyu felt a nudge at her shoulder and turned; Mr Satan was pointing over to where the two Buu's were fighting, he seemed a little worried and confused judging by the way his eyes flittered from the two Buus' fighting and back to her and the others. "Instead of standing around pretending you're talking to people, why don't you go help Buu?" He asked. "He needs some help! That little Buu's tearing him apart! Please, don't let the bigger Buu die."

"We are trying to help Buu," Goku replied in a hushed voice. "Trust me, this is the only way."

"Get started Kakarrot!" Vegeta butted in. "They should be giving you energy any time soon!"

"Right," Goku nodded, ripping off the top shirt of his half-torn uniform, "You're a hero, Vegeta!" With that Goku leapt up into the sky and got into the proper stance, raising both hands above his head.

It didn't take long before the Genki Dama began to form; Hairiyu was amazed by how big it had gotten considering how few people had donated. The sphere looked small from where she stood but she knew it was thousands and thousands of metres above them, growing larger and larger all the time.

"This must be from Gohan and the others!" Goku cried in awe.

"... It's not everything, it should be much bigger," Vegeta mumbled not sounding as cheerful as Goku. He seemed more worried and confused than anything as he kept his eyes closely on the ball of light. "Why isn't it bigger?" He asked unsure.

"Maybe it'll take the humans who don't know us a little longer to make it bigger?" Hairiyu suggested. "They won't have anywhere near as much ki as most of our friends so it'll look as if it's growing at a much slower pace."

"No, it's not growing at all!" Vegeta growled. "Damn it, what's going on?"

"_He said to raise our hands, but why should we?"_

Hairiyu gasped astonished as several voices suddenly spoke, pinching herself to see if it was real or not! It was real – and now her cheek was a little sore!

"_Whose voice is that? I don't recognise him!" _A random voice asked.

_"I'll bet you it's that Babidi again! Just ignore him!" _Another grunted crossly.

"H-Hey, why am I hearing voices?" Mr Satan asked approaching Hairiyu anxiously cleaning his ears out.

"It must be some of the people on Earth," Hairiyu replied, listening intently. Many seemed sceptical about this 'warrior' fighting Buu; most seemed to be brushing off the apparent danger they were being led to believe they were in! She couldn't blame them from not being able to comprehend the situation and not understanding what had been going on since the day of the tournament, yet right now was when they needed the Earthlings the most. They needed the Earthlings to listen and trust in her father and offer their energy!

"Hey! This energy isn't enough; this is just from our friends! What gives?" Goku shouted down to the others.

"The foolish Earthlings don't believe what I'm telling them!" Vegeta barked back frustrated before trying again: "Earthlings! Do you want Buu to kill you again? You have a chance to save your own lives, your own planet for once!"

Hairiyu watched, relieved to see the Genki Dama become slightly bigger. It was still very disappointing to see so little energy given up by the large population of humans. Her anger started to build; why didn't these people understand the crisis they were in? Their ignorance would only become a hindrance to them all!

"_He's sick! They steal your energy!"_

_"Be careful! Nobody raise your hands!"_

_"Who would listen to that freak?"_

Vegeta's anger was boiling over yet for the most part he held his tongue. "... Those idiots! Worthless idiots!" He grunted under gritted teeth; the fight nearby catching his attention as the fat Buu's ki suddenly plummeted. Hairiyu glanced over to the battle; fat Buu was weakening with every blow little Buu dealt to him. The miniature Buu held him by his antenna, continuously pounding his fist into the weakened Majin's stomach.

"Great, the fat one's dead!" Vegeta snapped frustrated and at a loss of what to do.

Fat Buu was released from little Buu's grasp, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud and light displacement of dust. He did not rise again, nor did he even move. Little Buu held out one hand, readying himself to finish the Majin off.

'_No, we needed more time! Damn those stupid people!' _Hairiyu clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. The fat Buu couldn't fight anymore and surely the little Buu wouldn't just stand around waiting for the Earthlings to provide them with the ki they needed to defeat him! What were they supposed to do now?

"What are you doing to him? Stop it!" Mr Satan bellowed, rushing towards both Buus fearlessly. Along the way he grabbed a small stone from the ground and lobbed it straight towards the smaller of the Majin warriors. Little Buu was struck clean in the back of his head, the rock lightly bouncing off him. It was enough to take his attention away from the fatter Buu and draw it towards Mr Satan and the others standing behind him.

"Uh... I hit him... in the head..." Mr Satan wasn't the only one impressed and scared that the stone had hit! No one was entirely sure whether he'd meant for the stone to actually hit Buu or not but nothing could now be done about it. The most alarming part of all was that little Buu's expression had changed; Hairiyu could see the interest and curiosity on his face even from where she stood. Could it be?

"Shit, he's seen us!" Vegeta realised quickly raising his guard.

"Why did he have to throw a stone at him?" Hairiyu grunted annoyed, putting up her guard. Things were quickly getting worse and worse for them. First the Earthlings were deciding to shun her father's warnings and now Buu knew about the Genki Dama!

Buu shrieked loudly and charged for them.

"Kakarrot I'm going to buy you some time!" Vegeta barked frantically. "You need to convince the Earthlings!"

"What?" Hairiyu gasped. "Dad no! You're still weak from before!"

Vegeta teleported, reappearing level with Goku in an instant. Buu was face-to-face with him in seconds and began to taunt the Saiyan Prince letting one loose arm sway like a pendulum with a grin. The taunt agitated Vegeta, "Fool, I'll rip that arm right off!" He was heard grunting. The swaying arm suddenly extended and lodged itself into Vegeta's solar plexus, winding the stunned fighter who bent over backwards reeling in agony. Buu gave him no chance to recover, grabbing him by the hair and launching a violent assault on Vegeta.

Hairiyu glanced up to Goku and clenched her fists infuriated that the Genki Dama still wasn't getting any bigger. She was sure it hadn't even grown in the past minute or so! Her father was now distracting Buu; she had to do something!

"Everyone, please give us your energy!" She cried to the Earthlings, not really sure whether or not Kaio was relaying her message. "Please! I know it's hard to believe what you're being told; I know Babidi also spoke to you in this way but please, trust us! We're not in league with him; we're trying to beat Buu and we need your help! Please just raise your hands to the sky!"

Seconds passed...

The Genki Dama grew a little more; Hairiyu hoping her friends from Orange Star High School and some of her mother's colleagues at Capsule Corp had reciprocated and given their energy. She would surely have many, many questions to answer if they ever got back home but right now that didn't matter. Right now there were more important things than worrying about keeping her life a secret from her friends and colleagues.

It still wasn't enough. Nearby her father was getting the tar beat out of him; still trying to recover from their last encounter against Buu. Even in his newly revived body he seemed to be struggling against Buu who'd taken to using him as a punching bag.

"Hey, it's still not enough!" Goku cried.

Hairiyu looked up helplessly at the blue ball of energy. "... I don't know what else to do..." She sighed. "Why won't they listen? Why won't you listen?" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"_Wow, she sounds whiny. Don't listen to her."  
_

"_Where are all these voices coming from anyway?"_

"_I'm not raising my hands, no way!"_

It was too much for her to stand. Hairiyu screamed with frustration, fed up with their ignorance and dismissal. She'd rather fight Buu than to be heckled by these innocent-minded morons! With fury burning through her body she turned to Goku, "Talk to them! I'm going to help out dad!"

"Hairiyu wait!" Goku barked. "Calm down; there's nothing you can do right now that will help Vegeta! At least wait until he's down and then charge in! We need all the time we can get!"

"I can't just stand here and not do anything!" Hairiyu protested. "Dad's only just come back to life! Surely there are people who would recognise your voice! Mama told me all about your adventures as a kid where you saved a lot of people! Talk to the Earthlings and convince them!"

"... People of Earth," Goku started calmer than Hairiyu was. "Please, give us your energy! We need your help! Raise your hands to the sky! Hurry!"

Begrudgingly Hairiyu stayed rooted to the floor, watching her father be beaten down by Buu. She struggled to keep her mouth shut, struggled to not launch herself from the soil she stood on. Everything was crashing down around them. Super Saiyan 3 hadn't worked; she and her father had barely managed to survive a minute fighting Buu and had then been forced to last a lot longer than planned, fat Buu was down for the count and now their last hope, the Genki Dama, was in danger of being too weak to destroy Buu... all because of the humans' lack of knowledge!

The Genki Dama once again grew, albeit pitifully.

"I only got a little more!" Goku groaned frustrated. "Why won't they understand?"

Vegeta was sent scraping across the ground, Buu closing in on him.

Hairiyu's body lurched forwards. The rush consumed her as she transformed into a Super Saiyan 2, charging Buu head-on. There was no way was she going to just stand around and let her dad die for the second time in a week, or try to talk to those morons who shared the same home planet as she did! Anything she'd say to them now would only hinder their attempts; she was not in the mood to bite her tongue and restrain herself!

She hadn't gone unnoticed.

One crack to the head and another to her stomach sent her shooting back towards Mr Satan with a heavy crash into the side of a patch of raised ground. The attack had been fast, too fast for her blinded-with-frustration mind to register before it was too late.

Before Buu could chase after her, Vegeta had once again caught his attention with an attempted kick, though Buu easily dodged with his flexible elasticised body.

"Your fight is with me!" The Saiyan Prince spat, only receiving a grin from Buu which was followed up by him sticking his tongue out and blowing a raspberry jeeringly!

"Please! Don't you fools care about the Earth?" Goku yelled from high above. "Hurry!" Time was running out for all of them; Buu could only be held back for so long and if forced to launch the Genki Dama too early, Goku knew this would not be the final blow. It wasn't enough! He needed more strength and ki to be confident enough in the Genki Dama's power!

Hairiyu felt a hand grab her and pull her onto her feet; Mr Satan supporting her under her arm. Her pride was battered from the obvious attack Buu'd struck her with; she should have been able to dodge that had it not been for her temper loss. The faint glimmer of the Genki Dama caught her eye, the reminder of their last hope slowly fading away. "Those idiots..." She spat. "... We're all going to die. They're all going to die again because they won't listen to us!"

"_How rude? He's calling us fools?"_

_"That's no way to ask a favour!"_

Hairiyu stepped forward, releasing herself from Mr Satan's grasp, the man not saying anything and letting her wander forward a couple of steps. Hairiyu was full of bitterness and frustration still as the hard truth slowly sank in. No, this would not turn out well for anyone apart from Buu. "There's no one here who can stop Buu. We had our chance and we blew it by relying on them, by expecting them to understand."

"_Maybe the whole Buu thing never happened?"_

"_Yeah, maybe we were all under mass hypnosis!"_

"We're finished," Hairiyu grumbled.

Mr Satan frowned and looked down at the grass below him. "... I don't really get what's going on but is that weird ball of light gonna be able to wipe out this evil Buu?" He asked.

Hairiyu looked at the man in surprise. It felt like this was the first time he was being serious and had grasped hold of the situation and not brushed off their techniques as nothing but smokes and mirrors. It was about time too! "... If Goku can get enough energy from everyone on Earth then yeah, we think so... but at this rate, with the power it has now, it won't even come close to beating Buu."

"... I see..." Mr Satan nodded pondering to himself. His brow crossed over a little as the human voices continued to speak out to them:

"_Why should we listen to these people? I don't know them, why should I help them?"_

"_Who cares? It's probably just some lame joke, they're only pulling our leg!"_

"_Geez, if you want something done just do it yourself! Some of us are already busy with other things! Sheesh, how selfish of them assuming we have nothing better to do!"_

"Oh shut up!" Mr Satan bellowed; he'd had enough of this. "Why can't you people just help? What if Mr Satan had your attitude?"

"_H-Hey, that was Mr Satan's voice!"  
_

"_Why is Mr Satan there?"_

"_He saved us from Cell and now he's fighting for us against Majin Buu!"_

Hairiyu rapidly turned around, glancing back at the furious warrior. The fury on his face quickly faded as he realised his outburst had been heard by the entire population of Earth. His posture changed to that of a confident man, fists resting on his hips as a smile appeared on his face and an idea in his head. "Th-That's right!" He declared. "I want my people to help me beat him! I need you all to raise your hands to give me the energy needed to beat Buu! Those other guys talking to you earlier are my helpers but they've all failed. Now it's up to us to finally put an end to this monster once and for all!"

"What are you...?" Hairiyu started, stopping in mid-sentence as his plan popped into her own head. Mr Satan was the hero of Earth and a very influential man; he even had a city named after him because he'd supposedly defeated Cell! _'Of course!' _A smile emerged on her face. She wasn't entirely happy with the little white lie being told but for now it was a good thing.

Mr Satan glanced up to Goku, "Sorry, I had no choice..." He apologised. "They won't trust us otherwise unless they thought it was me fighting Buu. Beating Buu right now is all that counts, right?"

A scream from nearby followed by an earth-shattering explosion panicked Hairiyu; her attention was drawn to the billowing dust cloud just twenty feet from them. Buu was up in the air laughing and pointing down at the crater. Her father was in there somewhere.

"H-Hey!"

Mr Satan's cry went unheard as Hairiyu charged, with all the strength she had left it was all she could do to muster her Super Saiyan form and fly. Buu's attention was ripped away; Hairiyu's fist inches from his face-

Bafflement consumed her; it felt as if she'd gone straight through air. Buu had manipulated his body and dodged swinging his midriff out in the shape of an s. The tired Super Saiyan was unable to keep up with his movements or even comprehend what had occurred. Pressure was suddenly on her throat once again stopping the breath from moving inside of her. Buu's arm had wrapped itself tightly around Hairiyu's neck. Before she could grasp onto him with her hands, her world was sent spinning; Buu's wrist violently tore her from the ground and sent her whirling around in mid-air. Pain struck her lower back; a kick sent her shooting through the air, caught by the wrist before being yanked back in like a yo-yo. For what felt like an eternity, Hairiyu was beaten and battered, unable to gain any sense of control over the fight or even regain any orientation confused as to which way gravity went. Her body grew limp with every assault Buu made. Vision blurred as the world became hazy around her, just about able to make out the light coming from the Genki Dama.

She couldn't feel her legs. Nothing wanted to move anymore. Buu released her from his bombardment of attacks and took a couple of satisfied steps back. Hairiyu staggered briefly before she finally collapsed onto the floor with a thud. For a while she lay crumpled against the bottom of a rocky outcrop, surrounded by shattered rock. Her half-lidded eyes were left glancing absentmindedly at what lay before her. She could make out the Genki Dama to her right; it looked a lot bigger than the last time she'd seen it... Then to her left was Buu and another person... Someone right beside Buu; he too was stuck upon the ground unable to get up, the little minion towering over them.

Her dad was on the floor face down and under Buu's foot. Pink flashes of light distorted her vision every-so-often as Buu started to shoot off energy attacks at Goku who defiantly remained on the spot keeping the Genki Dama in place. She could just about hear her father and Goku shouting towards one another, unable to make out what they were saying...

Fat Buu suddenly launched himself into her view, tackling the little Buu and pinning him to the ground. From what she'd seen of him the fatter Majin had taken a lot of damage and probably wouldn't last long against his evil small counterpart. "SATAN!" He yelled through all the commotion.

'_... What's he... doing?'_ Even her thoughts were slow. Hairiyu felt herself drifting dangerously close to unconsciousness, willing herself to stay awake for as long as possible.

Mr Satan had rushed towards her father, slinging him over his shoulder and running over towards her. A fragment of a smile came over Hairiyu's face as she realised the man and the first Buu had just saved her father; in the corner fat Buu was sent flying on the receiving end of an energy ball out of her visual field.

"Good work Mr Satan! Maybe you are the world's champion!" Goku yelled though his voice was distorted to Hairiyu's ears. Her vision blurred, warm tears streaming down her cheeks. She felt so tired; her body wailed in agony, no longer able to move. She'd been reduced to resting against uncomfortable rocks which she was sure were making her injuries to her back worse. Her knees were bloodied, her body beaten, clothes ragged.

The Genki Dama was fired.


	103. Chapter 102

**Chapter 102 – Return to Earth**

When she came too again, she was in a different place from where she'd passed out of. From the looks of things she hadn't been out for long at all, or Goku and Buu had been struggling for a long time to out-do the other. She could see in the corner of her eye that Buu and Goku were still struggling with the Genki Dama. Hairiyu now rested on her back, unable to move and just about able to make out the fight.

"We hadn't counted on this! Kakarrot doesn't have the strength to unleash the Genki Dama!" Vegeta was heard grunting, being supported by Mr Satan. The two men were somewhere to her left from the sounds of it.

Buu's ki was surging, Goku's weakening. The ground below her continued to shudder though the tremors became progressively violent; it felt as if the whole planet was being ripped apart from underneath her and there was nothing she could do to stop it or escape from it. She couldn't even get her body to react and stand up! Too bad neither Dende nor a senzu bean was on hand – as much as she hated the taste of the latter – it would have done her and the others some good...

"_Goku! We used the third wish to restore your power!"_

'_Dende's voice...'_ Hairiyu tried to sit up but to no avail. Her attempts did not go unnoticed, although neither of the men looked at her.

"Stay down and conserve your energy," Vegeta barked. Hairiyu was in no condition to argue back, she wasn't even sure she could get words to come out of her mouth! Her throat felt dry and her limbs felt like led keeping her to the floor.

Goku's ki had returned. It surged and burned brightly; the Genki Dama suddenly began to shift towards Buu. A couple of seconds later, the Genki Dama struck the ground. The explosion numbed all of her senses (or what was left of them) and left her confused and in the dark about what was happening. Hairiyu – nor Vegeta and Mr Satan for that matter – had no idea of Goku's last words before he finally threw the Genki Dama down to Buu. The monster was left unable to stop him, screaming as his body was reduced to nothing. The pure power of the Genki Dama was more than enough to destroy Buu even at a sub-molecular level. The final burst of power was unlike anything Hairiyu'd ever been conscious of and she was sure she was losing her grip on the ground, attempting to clasp to nothing but grass which was easily ripped from the ground along with her.

Amidst it all she sensed the monster's ki vanish.

When Hairiyu's eyes finally opened once again, she could feel energy flowing gracefully through her body. She felt rejuvenated and alive once more and was greeted by a cheerful looking Dende who rose to his feet with a small nod. "That's two of you done."

Mr Satan was peering over the short Namekian's shoulder and was almost screaming as Hairiyu sat herself up, clearly freaked out seeing a near-dead person suddenly rise as if nothing had ever happened! Ignoring him, Hairiyu frantically looked around as a panic overtook her, almost instinctive behaviour kicking in.

"Kakarrot beat him," Vegeta muttered knowing full-well what his daughter was thinking. "Buu is dead."

"... Right," Hairiyu sighed out a heavy breath and relaxed her muscles, watching as Dende made his way over to Goku who was sitting nearby on a rock, body looking battered. Near to him were both the Kaioshin; elderly and younger. Both of them seemed to be observing the damage to their planet which had also taken quite a beating during the whole fight. All in all things had turned out pretty well; at least Buu hadn't managed to destroy this planet in the process!

Getting to her feet proved to be no issue for her now, much to her relief. Her brain on the other hand still felt frazzled. Hairiyu was finding it difficult to make sense of it all. A monster which had survived her father self-destructing, had absorbed her friends, transformed into more and more powerful fighters, had survived a planet exploding and still been capable of coming back from it... Was he really gone?

She couldn't sense his distinct ki.

"It's Buu!"

Mr Satan's words couldn't have come at a worse time. Hairiyu spun around heart thumping in her throat almost chocking off the breath in her lungs.

Indeed Buu lay before Mr Satan and the puppy. However it was fat Buu, not the Buu they feared the man had meant. Hearts stopped choking them of air though there was still tension in the air. Hairiyu felt a little sympathetic towards the human martial artist. Somehow he had made friends with this chubby Buu; this Buu and indeed the Buu after him had both refused to kill the man. Surely Mr Satan would have shared feelings for Buu too through getting to know him; he'd seemed concerned each and every time the fat Buu had found himself in a difficult situation. Personally she wasn't sure whether she felt the same way about this Buu, regardless of Mr Satan insisting he was the good version. This Buu had been the one her father'd died against. That memory was still painful, as were the events leading up to it. She pushed these to the back of her mind for the time being.

Mr Satan had rushed over to the pudgy fighter and leaned against the spot Hairiyu could only assume his heart was. After a moment a shocked look appeared on the martial artist's face. "He's still alive!" Mr Satan cried, turning on the spot to face Dende. "Please, help him! Can't you heal him with your magic?"

"What are you, mad?" Vegeta spat raising one arm out before him, "Move! I'll finish him off!"

"P-Please don't!" Mr Satan begged panicked. "This Buu's not so bad! He only did those bad things because of those other bad guys! He stopped killing those people once I told him to! He won't harm anyone ever again, I promise!"

"What if he sprouts another one of those Buu's?" Vegeta snapped unconvinced. "Then what?" He was in no mood to change his mind and seemed uncharacteristically concerned about this Majin being kept alive. It was a first as far as Hairiyu could recall – never before had he been concerned like this before. Normally he'd deliberately keep them around to challenge them again just to satisfy his pride. Had he finally changed his ways or was this a one-off?

Mr Satan looked down at his unconscious buddy defeated, contemplating the thought of him releasing another Buu like the one before. "I... I don't know..." He responded sadly.

"Well I do! It'll be the end of the universe!" Vegeta retaliated. "Step aside!"

"B-But the only reason he released that bad Buu was because some human shot his puppy!" The human perked up again pointing towards the tiny puppy sniffing the pink Majin. "Please, I'm begging you! He can stay at my house and live with me! I'll make sure he doesn't do anything bad!"

"'Make sure?' Don't make me laugh!" Vegeta snorted. "What could you do? Step aside or I'll kill you as well!" Judging by the tone of his voice, Hairiyu was guessing this was the last warning her father was going to give. To her dismay Mr Satan did not budge; he further shielded Buu with his own body flinching. The tension was growing and Hairiyu watched her father with concern though to her surprise and relief Vegeta seemed to be hesitating to kill him. Hairiyu glanced over to Goku, surprised to see a smile on his face.

"... Dende, go ahead and heal him." Goku decided.

"What?" Hairiyu gasped stunned.

Vegeta too was surprised, although his facial expression quickly changed. "...Are you insane?"

"Look, this Buu and Mr Satan tried to help us," Goku explained, "If it weren't for these two, you know as well as I do that we'd have been finished by Buu, right? We'll fight again if we have to. Let's train hard so we can't lose next time."

"Train hard so we can't lose... Like that's ever going to happen... The guy can regenerate from practically nothing!" Hairiyu snorted under her breath, folding her arms. She wasn't entirely sure whether keeping this Buu alive was a good thing or not but for now that was what had been decided. Indeed she would need to train a lot more to be able to obliterate anything the fat Buu would throw out at them! She could probably now give this Buu a fairly decent fight but even so he could regenerate and regular attacks did nothing... No, she still was not convinced! Goku was insane! _'I really hope he doesn't plan to die any time soon...'_ She gulped.

"But Buu living on Earth could be a problem," Kibitoshin pointed out interrupting her thoughts. "Everyone knows what he looks like and will be afraid of him."

"Yeah, I get what you mean," Goku nodded. "If he's willing to hide indoors for six months then we can use the second wish of the Earth's Dragonballs to wish away everyone's memories of Buu."

"Oh dear, misusing Dragonballs again..." Old Kaioshin sighed to himself.

"Then it's settled, right?" Goku smiled looking to the others for approval though not quite finding it.

"Yes, it's a brilliant idea," Vegeta sneered, "... If you don't have a brain! Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"Th-Thank you so much!" Mr Satan beamed tearfully. "I'll never forget this!"

"Then let's heal him and go home," Goku decided, "I want a big meal and a long nap!"

Their return to the lookout was an eventful one at that. Everyone seemed to be waiting for them; those who'd lost their lives on the lookout along with those who'd lost their lives elsewhere. It blew her mind to think she'd been one of the few survivors of the entire ordeal.

Naturally the first person Hairiyu approached was Bulma. Seeing her mother set off all the emotion she could muster and like a child she rushed into her mother's arms! She didn't care if she was supposed to be eighteen years old; as far as she was concerned right now she needed a hug from her mother. To her surprise she also received the biggest hug she'd ever gotten from her brother! Trunks seemed overjoyed to see his sister but quickly darted off to see their father, probably now embarrassed he'd even hugged her in the first place in front of the Saiyan Prince!

Hairiyu stayed with her mother for quite some time, not wanting to let go. She'd failed in her attempts to protect her from harm. Ever since the encounter with Raditz, Hairiyu's main goal in training was to protect her mother. She hadn't been strong enough and in the end it had cost Bulma and Trunks' lives. She couldn't bear to live though that ever again. "Don't you ever die again!" She sobbed through hiccups, letting herself have this one moment to cave in. She was so pleased to see her alive and well.

"I'm so proud of you!" Bulma wailed with a smile finally stepping back and wiping the tears from her eyes, noticing Vegeta was to one side and giving her daughter a small nudge of her head to signal she was about to approach the man. Hairiyu nodded and watched as her mother joined her father and brother, Trunks was tugging on his arm cheerfully. Vegeta held his back to them even when her mother approached him, giving him a thumbs up. Her father, despite what he'd done a couple of days ago, seemed to be welcomed with open arms by her mother which surprised Hairiyu at first. She wondered how it would turn out once they were back at home. No doubt her mother would have questions for the man concerning his behaviour when he and the others had momentarily returned to the stadium and he'd killed all those people.

Mr Satan emerged last, running up to Videl and pulling her into his arms pleased to see his daughter alive once again. He pointed to someone behind him: Buu emerged from around the side of the palace. The entire lookout screamed the others realised he was with them, many of the seasoned warriors and young fighters quickly putting up their guards to challenge the Majin. It took a lot of convincing to calm Trunks and Goten down and to not charge Buu, as well as convince everyone he wasn't here to kill them! Not everyone was pleased with Goku's decision to keep the pink fighter alive and Vegeta was quick to point out it was all Goku's idea! Quickly wanting to take the subject off of him being responsible for Buu being kept alive, Goku broke the news that he'd been restored to life thanks to the old Kaioshin and could live at home with his family again. The news brought tears to Chichi's eyes and the woman collapsed into his arms, sobbing her eyes out.

The journey home was sobering and refreshing as the cool breeze swept past them. Deciding not to take Goku's offer of using Instant Transmission to take them back home, Hairiyu, Trunks and Bulma instead chose to fly it... minus Vegeta. The Saiyan warrior had quickly left after the news Goku was alive again was broke. It wasn't anything his family members paid particular mind to; Vegeta was always disappearing without saying anything. In the end Hairiyu was the one carrying her mother on her back, Bulma quickly warning her daughter not to fly fast or high!

"I don't want to be killed since I've only just come back to life!" Bulma remarked nervously as her daughter had crouched down and offered her back. The comment may have been meant in a light-hearted manner but Hairiyu took it to heart.

"Please don't say things like that," She'd protested giving her mother a sad glance over her shoulder. "I don't want to relive those moments thank you very much! It's too painful..."

"See ya later Goten!" Trunks waved as he took off, Hairiyu making sure her mother had a firm grip on her before following the lavender-haired boy. The lookout quickly vanished above them as they dove down towards the ground ahead of them, Hairiyu could hear her mother squealing reluctantly behind gritted teeth as they fell. Quickly they passed the top of Korin Tower, Hairiyu giving a quick wave to the old cat and a now more rugged Yajirobe who watched them vanish.

She began to pull out of the dive gradually and once they'd reached a fair distance from the ground they levelled out.

"You can open your eyes now mama," Hairiyu called over the wind unsure if her mother even heard her or not. Her mother did not respond. Trunks was flying a little ways ahead seemingly pleased his sister had allowed him to lead the way back home. It would be a relief to see her grandparents once again and to be back at home, relaxing after a couple of intensely stressful days. Hairiyu needed the rest!

That evening Vegeta did not return until after Trunks had fallen asleep. Bulma had decided to stay up waiting in their bedroom but from what Hairiyu could sense, she was certain that her mother's calm ki signal meant she'd fallen asleep! She herself was struggling to stay awake so had deliberately taken herself onto the roof where the chilly night air would at the very least keep her feeling fresh and ever-so-slightly cold!

The moon was a pale yellow, slowly falling back behind the Earth's shadow. The sky was pretty clear out tonight which added to the chill in the air. Before her lay the large lit up buildings of West City, its many lights glistening far, far brighter than any star filling the sky with an orange haze shutting out some of the natural light. She could hear the traffic rushing past the house even at this hour of the night, people going about their business just like any other night. She had no idea what time it was or how long she'd been sat out on top of the large domed building but even out in the fresh breeze she could feel herself slipping into slumber.

Judging by her father's ki he was still far away from home but didn't seem to be moving. Hairiyu'd had half a mind to leave home and track him down but thought better of it, deciding right now her father probably wanted to be left alone. He'd vanished for a couple of nights after the fight with Cell so she only assumed he was doing the same now.

'_I'll bet right now you're doing everything you can to avoid speaking to mama alone,'_ she mused to herself unimpressed. Whether he wanted to or not she was adamant her parents would both be discussing his actions. Bulma hadn't got much out of Hairiyu when she'd asked because Hairiyu'd been to upset and protective not to tell her everything. It was best to come from the man's mouth rather than the witnesses' mouth. She wasn't going to bail her dad out and save him from having to face up to his actions.

The moon was high above the city when he finally arrived home. Vegeta'd expected everyone to have been asleep in their rooms by the time he'd gotten back from his time alone. He'd gone to process his thoughts and collect his answers knowing full-well the conversation he'd be having with his brats' mother sooner or later. It wasn't avoidance, it was more for clarification as to why he'd done what he had. Sure he'd explained himself to Kakarrot before but the interaction with the kind-hearted Saiyan accusing him of still having feelings had shaken his certainties. Indeed he had dropped everything when he realised just how much danger everyone who dared to care for him would be in. Yes, he had to painfully acknowledge that living on this planet for so long had changed him to a man he never thought he'd become. He was no longer the cold heartless murderer he used to be. Even when he'd been possessed by Babidi he still found in some corner of his heart that he cared for them and could not rid himself of the feeling. That had been the decider; now Vegeta knew no matter what he did to try and regain his evil heart he would never fully be rid of these feelings.

Strolling across the garden path as quietly as a cat, he was surprised to see a crumpled figure up on the roof! _'Who...?' _He didn't have to finish his thought; his daughter rolled over slightly almost falling off the side of the building! Vegeta sighed and leapt off against the ground over to where his daughter had chosen to sleep. Why she was up on the roof he did not know, probably waiting for him to return or something stupid like that. Then again she'd done that the last time he'd vanished and the time before that...

Here was no place for her to be sleeping. Her mother would be furious if she found out Hairiyu'd been stupid enough to sleep here and shout at her for risking getting a 'cold' or something weak humans seemed to suffer from. Vegeta wasn't entirely sure how this 'cold' was going to affect his half-Saiyan half-Earthling daughter. He'd seen Bulma with one several times throughout the years but he'd just put that down to her inadequate Earthling immune system. His daughter was far too strong to come down with such an illness, she was part-Saiyan and so shared some of his Saiyan immune system's capabilities.

Gently he slid his arms underneath her and pulled her from the roof, a little taken back by his own actions; he hadn't just grabbed her by the ankle or wrist after all – he'd picked her up in his arms. What was wrong with him? Slightly irked he lugged her to her room, a grimace of irritation on his face! No, he owed it to her; she'd been in a furious state with him when he'd turned Majin. As quietly as he could Vegeta lowered himself down to the balcony; the door ajar slightly where she'd clearly left it open. He passed through into the living area and down into the living quarters corridor, reaching her room and gently placing her down on her bed, not bothering with any covers, he couldn't care less and was not going to embarrass himself further by showing outward affection – even if he was the only one who'd be aware it had happened! She could stay cold! Without a word he was about to leave the room and head to his own where he was certain the blue-haired woman of his would be waiting.

"... What, not even going to say anything?"

He was surprised to hear her voice, he'd been sure she was asleep! Vegeta glanced over his shoulder: sure enough his daughter was sat upright on her bed albeit wiping her eye half-asleep. He wasn't entirely sure what the cold stare was for but he could probably take a couple of wild stabs and hit the right answer. There were so many unresolved issues which he himself had been the cause of. Not only did he have his mate – the blue haired woman – to answer to, he also apparently had his daughter to answer to! She wasn't a fool; she wasn't as ignorant and blasé as the boy would surely be. She was smart enough to work the truth out for herself. She'd been around him in far too many battles not to know there was a deeper reasoning behind his actions, past his pride and his haughtiness. Hell she was probably one of the few people besides her mother who bothered to get to know the man, Kakarrot and possibly the Namekian being the other two.

"What would you expect me to say?" He muttered turning his back to her. "... It's late. Go to sleep and prepare yourself for tomorrow's training."

"Alright, have it your way then, ignore it," Hairiyu pouted annoyed rising to her feet. "Just one thing before you go..."

Vegeta glanced over his shoulder again. There it was, that same look of ferocity and seriousness, one that showed aggression and yet complete control of her fury. That same look she'd given him when she'd realised the true reason for him turning to Babidi for help. The threat was clear in her tone, as was the promise and he heeded it knowing if push came to shove, she would no doubt follow through:

"If you ever, ever, ever turn your back on my family again and chuck us to the side as if we are nothing but objects, I will thoroughly beat the crap out of you."

Vegeta did not react, he simply left the room. His reaction came after he'd left, whilst he was walking down the hallway leading back to his and his mate's room. The smirk caught him off-guard; normally a threat like that would see the person begging for mercy before he killed them brutally and bloodily. Not this time. This time instead of anger at the threat, he'd felt proud at the brutality of it. She'd never admit it but he could see it plain and clear: his daughter definitely had the fury and pride of a Saiyan warrior, even if there were pathetic Earthling teachings at the root of it all...

Six months passed since the fight with Buu had been won. As was foretold by Goku, the Dragonballs of Earth were quickly gathered together and Shenron was summoned. As promised, Buu had been kept hidden away inside Mr Satan's home so as not to cause any alarm for the humans who still had vivid memories of him terrorising them and turning their people into candy or destroying their towns and cities. With the wish granted, he was finally free to wander the streets of his new home town of Satan City, venture off into the world and explore, so long as he didn't get angry or fight anyone! Naturally the child-like Buu agreed.

School for the past six months prior to the wish being made had been very invasive and stressful for Gohan, Hairiyu and Videl. Gohan's secret about being the Great Saiyaman and the Golden Warrior had been spilled by a certain duo that preferred to go unnamed, though Hairiyu was pretty certain she knew who the two were. Sharpner and Eresa had both been at the tournament after all and seen Gohan transform into a Super Saiyan 2 at Kibito's request after all. Though she had gone unnoticed as one of the competitors of the Budokai, she had returned briefly during that little fiasco her father caused and Eresa was full of questions! Videl naturally was the main focus of attention from the entire school now that her father had once again defeated an enemy and saved the world. Thankfully she took it in her stride despite her embarrassment of knowing who the real hero was!

After the wish had been made, the attention quickly died off. By this point it was common knowledge why Gohan would disappear during lessons and reappear around the same time as Videl did when returning from fighting crime. No one could recall the monster that Mr Satan had defeated which worked out wonderfully for Hairiyu – no one had any memories of the end of the Tournament, just that Mr Satan had won and then all the trouble had started. No one – not even Eresa – seemed to recall anyone they knew being present at the end of the Budokai! Hairiyu liked this outcome very much as it allowed her to sink back into the shadows of school life and not stand out like her two close friends did!

Life seemed to return to normal on Earth.


	104. Chapter 103

**Chapter 103 – Earth in Peacetime**

Age 776, May 22nd – Two years after the defeat of Majin Buu...

The blazing late spring sun beamed down on the busy road, traffic travelling at a slow pace as frustrated people made their ways to their destination. The sun's rays were caught on the metallic bodies of the vehicles using the road as they slowly crept over the landscape. Up above them, a couple of sky-cars travelled through the air; clearly the better choice to travel considering the sheer volume of traffic on the ground!

Amongst the herd of traffic was a nineteen-year-old boy impatiently waiting inside his hot car, silently thanking himself for getting a car with air conditioning and an air cooling system, though at this rate he'd need to refuel on his way home. At this rate he was going to be late for work... again! His boss had warned him more than once about his long running-streak of late arrivals. It wasn't the boy's fault he wasn't the only one trying to get into West City and he couldn't afford the rent prices in such a jam-packed metropolis! He had little choice but to commute from his home half an hour from the outskirts of the city. The journey was along one of the main roads heading in and out of the city taking city-bound commuters straight through the financial district. The other way would take them towards the coast where it would then curve to the north and follow the coastal curves until it hit another major town and branched off into a north-east direction, almost doing a semi-circle around the north of West City's boundaries.

"At this rate I'm gonna get fired..." He muttered through gritted teeth, hands clenching the steering wheel tightly. He knew getting angry would not help things but the heat was already getting to him, as it was many other drivers. Eyes momentarily diverted up to the top right corner of his windscreen; his eyes fell upon a trail of white slowly making its way out of the city, not too high up in the air and too small to belong to an air-car. He paid little mind to its peculiar properties as the traffic before him moved forward slightly...

The young adult man rushed through the entrance to the office, breathing hard from running up three flights of stairs. Today had to be the day the elevator was out of action! His office was on the sixth floor of the ten-storey building and he was not as fit as he used to be. Either his boss would make a comment about his tardiness or the odour that was sure to be coming from him.

"Shirataki!"

The boy flinched and glanced to the right; his boss was sitting at his desk, her arms folded and a stern glare on her face. He was in for it.

"See me in my office," The lady spoke with a commanding tone which just grated on his nerves.

The boy followed the woman into her office, closing the door behind them. She perched herself in her own chair and ushered him to sit on the other side of her desk. Reluctantly and knowing this would not end well, the young man sat down.

"So what was it this time? You were supposed to have been here an hour ago!" The power-dressed lady barked. "Was it traffic again, or do you have another reason?"

"It was traffic," The boy responded knowing how this was going to end. It wasn't fair, he was stuck in a harsh routine which barely ever saw him eat properly or get a decent night's sleep. "Sorry, I set off half-an-hour earlier than I usually do!"

"Soba, I've suggested time-and-time again for you to just rent a place in the city, yet you refuse to do so!"

"That's because the rental rates are more than I can afford! I have no one to move in with to help me with costs. Maybe if you could give me a pay-rise-"

"How can I give you a pay rise when you can't even show me you can be punctual and show up for work on time?" The woman snapped. Her normally short temper was being eaten away extra quick by the added heat of the sun. The boy clenched his fists, biting his tongue and swallowing down the answer he would have loved to have given. He couldn't shout, as much as he wanted to right now, he couldn't. His boss' treatment and empathy was clearly warped even without the overbearing temperature and he was already treading on thin ice.

He started calmly, "... If I could have my contract changed and have my hours shifted back then I could get to work on time. There would be no rush hour traffic."

The lady sighed, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear before opening her eyes again. "I'm going to make this really easy for you, Shirataki. You don't need to come into work starting next week."

The words had continued to ring in his ears for quite some time. Even on the journey home it still quite hadn't sunk in that he was now being fired.

What would his sister and brother say about all this? What would his father say?

Soba Shirataki sighed as he found himself once again stuck in rush-hour traffic, this time the traffic found at the end of the working day. The sun was still blazing down, heat radiating off the tarmac of the road adding to the sweltering temperature of the car. He glanced out of his front windscreen up to the sky and exhaled in an attempt to keep calm, watching the few clouds slowly drift across the blue veil above, contemplating where his life was heading. Nineteen years old, still unable to support himself and still living at home with his sister and father. His father was hardly ever home; that had always been the way, so his sister was more-or-less the boss of the house. His mother had passed away giving birth to him, something Soba had always felt guilty over yet none of his family seemed to hold it against him. His brother, twelve years his senior, had long since moved out. He wasn't married but had a long-term girlfriend. His sister, four years his senior, was single no thanks to the demands of her job and her family...

Something caught his eye snapping Soba out from his thoughts. Again that strange white line moving across the sky... Soba could tell it wasn't a jet-car or an aircraft of any kind which baffled him. If it wasn't any kind of machine then what was it?

"What? They're firing you?"

"Yeah," Soba nodded glumly, removing his suit blazer and slouching himself down on the sofa, loosening his tie. "The traffic into West City keeps making me late for work and my bitch-of-a-boss has had enough of it."

"That woman!" Soba's older sister Ramen huffed, folding her arms. "What's so hard to understand? You're commuting into West City; of course you're going to get stuck in the rush hour! Plus your working hours are ridiculous considering the pay you got was crap! She has no sense of empathy, that woman!"

Soba let his sister blow off some steam; he couldn't blame her. Now there was only her wages and their father's wages coming into the house, not that their father sent much home to begin with! Soba needed to contribute if his family were to stay living in Shore City. The rent for their home wasn't as bad as it would have been had they lived in West City but living near the sea had its price – and it was not a cheap one at that.

"Never mind," Ramen sighed, massaging her forehead, "At least this way you're free from that woman and that dead-end job. You'll find something soon."

"I'm gonna have to," Soba nodded. "I can't have you paying all the bills and the food! You can barely afford what you're paying now! Just don't tell dad about this, ok? You know what he'll say..."

"Yeah," Ramen rolled her eyes and sighed. "He'll offer you a job at one of his restaurants and laugh about how it's your destiny to work in a noodle bar!"

"I refuse to work in a noodle bar," Soba shuddered. "That's a last resort! Tomorrow I start job-hunting!"

"Look around Shore City but don't count out West City just because of the traffic," Ramen replied. "You never know, there could be someone decent who will employ you there!"

"Yeah right," Soba snorted.

The search for a job had begun. Soba reluctantly agreed to travel to West City, listening to his sister's recommendations. He was unsure about getting a job in the city considering the issues he'd had with getting to work on time in his previous job! He hadn't mentioned his other reason for heading back to the city. There were tonnes of jewellery stores and it was coming up to his sister's birthday. At least this way he could kill two birds with one stone and buy her a present.

What was to occur in his chosen jewellery shop was an experience to say the least.

"Get down on the ground! Everyone, down now! Now!"

Soba spun around feeling the breath hitch in his throat as several staff and customers shrieked. A couple of men covering their faces with cloth had barged into the shop wielding guns barking orders at everyone. One of the bulky men snatched hold of a young woman with dark hair, holding a gun to her head.

"You, lady! Don't you dare press the panic button or I'll fill this girl with lead!" The man shouted at one of the employees who was attempting to discretely shuffle over towards one of the glass display boxes.

Forced onto the ground by another of the gunmen, Soba glanced up at the man who held the woman captive, he seemed to be the ring-leader of the group and looked incredibly strong at that. The woman didn't seem distressed at all, much to his confusion. Either she had no clue what was going on or she dealt with nerves at an incredible inhuman level! Though he admired how she seemed to be keeping calm, Soba feared she wouldn't meet a pleasant end at this rate. None of them would!

"Give us your money and all the jewellery! Now!" One man yelled, laughing as he began to smash the glass displays and snatch the sparkly objects from their cases-

The man holding the hostage suddenly fell, collapsing onto his back. The gun-wielding men collapsed to the floor one-by-one almost at the same time as the first. For a while no one moved, not even the fallen gunmen. Confusion gripped the room, people murmuring cautiously before finally one of the staff had the sense to press the panic button. No one understood what had forced the robbers to suddenly collapse.

Soba got to his feet slowly, taking a quick glance over to where the hostage stood. She turned and exited the shop without as much as a word. His feet started to move before his brain realised he was running. Soba burst through the doors, frantically looking for the girl to make sure she was alright. There could be no way she had emerged from that ordeal unscathed and not emotionally disturbed.

No sign of her. There was no sign of the girl who'd been held hostage.

"... Where'd she go?" He scratched his head baffled.

Unbeknownst to him the girl had headed home, landing outside the large yellow building she called home and wandering up the lane to the entrance nonchalantly. Too bad her little tip into town hadn't gone to plan, she'd been hoping to find something for her mother's birthday but all the jewellery in that store was already owned by her mother! The robbery had made her day a little less mundane but there was no fun in beating up criminals who hid behind weapons. She passed an elderly man on his bike, a cigarette poking out his mouth as he rose past her.

"Ah, glad to see you back Hairiyu. Did you get anything in town?" He greeted his granddaughter and she stopped to respond.

"Nope, got held up as a hostage at the jewellers though," Hairiyu replied. "Was fun putting the scum in their place, the losers! Too bad there's no fun in beating up wimps... Is mama still in her lab?"

"Yes, I believe she's expecting you," Dr Brief nodded. "I think she wanted to run through a couple more procedures with you; you are the next heir to Capsule Corp after your mother, after all."

Age 776, May 23rd

Hairiyu marched through the corridors of the large domed building. It had been two years since the defeat of the evil Buu and the world had been at peace since. According to her date of birth, Hairiyu was now nineteen. However spending nine months in Room of Spirit and Time during the battles with the androids and Cell, then another six months when training to beat Majin Buu meant that biologically, Hairiyu was twenty years old.

Her mother had been introducing her daughter to the family business. Capsule Corp was easily the most successful and famous of all corporations across the planet, and as the first born it was Hairiyu's job to take over the company once her mother retired. As it stood, her mother had been the president of Capsule Corp for almost five years now after Hairiyu's grandfather had stepped back, considering his daughter more mobile and perfectly capable of running the company. Soon it would be Hairiyu's turn to run the large company. The only problem was Hairiyu wasn't sure if she was interested. Sure it was best to keep the company in the family and yes when it came to mechanics Hairiyu wasn't too shabby. Yet she had other interests which conflicted with work. Her training still continued, albeit not as often as it had done before the whole Buu fiasco. She enjoyed the exercise and getting to spend time with her father but she also knew her mother would be disappointed if she turned away from Capsule Corp. It was a dilemma she was going to have to face. Hairiyu had graduated from Orange Star High School alongside Gohan and Videl during the spring of this year; now it was time for her to make a living and earn her independence through work...

She walked through the opening doors and into the lab, searching her mother out via her ki signal. No doubt she'd be worked hard like a dog again, stuck in the office or stuck in the lab fixing things or getting equipment. On the bright side, it was two days to her birthday so surely her mother would let her off the hook!

May 25th

She was stuck in the office on her own birthday. Inside Hairiyu was fuming; the one day she wanted to have off from work and she couldn't get it because her mother insisted she needed to get used to her role! Sighing Hairiyu swivelled on her chair and glanced out the window melancholy. It wasn't fair. She was an adult now, why did she still have to listen to her mother?

'_Because she's your boss,' _Hairiyu reminded herself.

"Good morning miss Brief," the receptionist wandered through the door, a notepad in her hand alongside a pen. "I have a couple of meetings lined up by your mother for you today which you are required to sit through. I'll leave the list here on your desk but just to make sure you're aware I'll read out your appointments for today..." The lady droned off, reciting the list of names, times, and locations. It was a long and daunting list of jobs for her to do and eventually she came to the end. "... And on a final note, happy birthday." With that she left the room.

Hairiyu sighed and slouched in her chair. She wasn't going to let this ruin her day. No, it was her birthday; this was insane! She would not have a terrible day filled with boring meetings where all she had to do was sit and not speak. She wasn't allowed to participate yet, only observe her mother's actions and wordings as she'd strike a deal with whoever the other individual or company was. There was no fun in just being there and listening, she felt like she may as well be a cardboard cut-out!

Hairiyu glanced at the list. Her first meeting was at 13:30. That meant she still had two hours before the meeting.

A smile came to her face as a plan formed in her mind. Hairiyu snatched the list off her desk and opened the window; the pile of papers on her desk scattering as the wind blew through the office. Cautiously she snuck through the gap, closing the window behind her. Hairiyu grinned and flew off, determined to have a little bit of fun!

The traffic was busy as usual yet Soba was relieved to be inside West City as opposed to stuck in traffic outside of the metropolis! So far his search hadn't taken him to many places and it was getting close to lunch. Feeling the need to buy some food and to stretch his legs, Soba found a safe place in which to pull over and got out of his car. He pressed the small button on the side; the car vanished in a puff of smoke as it returned to its original capsule case. This would save him having to pay for a parking ticket! Soba glanced around at his surroundings, spotting a park over the street. At the very least he could find some food here and chill out under the sun before continuing his search...

Once he'd grabbed a bite to eat, Soba sat himself under a fairly leafy tree, watching as the grass the other side of the path swayed in the breeze. Nearby were a couple of children playing with a ball and bat; a couple sat a little to the right whilst families and those on their lunch break from work strolled down the path. Soba paid particular attention to those clearly on their lunch break, reminded of the fact he no longer had a job. Today was his scheduled day off but even so, he had four working days left before he was screwed. There had to be something he could do in this city or at home...

Hairiyu glanced down at the park below her, flying down towards a place where no one was looking and landing on the grass. "Time to get an ice cream!" She smiled to herself pleased to be out of the office on such a nice day.

"WAAAAAAH!"

The loud scream that came from immediately behind her startled Hairiyu, panic rushing through her body. There was no doubt in her mind she'd just been careless and had been spotted landing by a random human, though she couldn't tell whether it was a man with a high pitched scream or a woman! Hesitantly she glanced over her shoulder.

Soba was staring wide-eyed, gawking at her! His memory was quick to jog, Soba's shocked expression dropping a little when he saw her face and hair. "H-Hey! You're the girl from the robbery the other day! The one at the Rin jeweller's shop!"

Outwardly Hairiyu expressed no emotion; inside she began to panic further. Not only had this man seen her land, he'd also seen her in the raid the other day! Of course he'd recognise her; she was the hostage! There was no way he'd known what had really happened to those robbers; her strikes and kiai blasts had been way too fast for the normal human eye to detect. She had to keep calm.

The man did not seem too concerned with finding out her identity but more concerned with her wellbeing. "How are you? I tried to follow you out to make sure you were alright. That must have been terrifying," Soba frowned sympathetically.

Hairiyu didn't speak. She couldn't afford to speak to him. He knew too much; he recognised her but didn't seem to know her name or who she actually was. That was how she wanted to keep it. It was rude but she had no intention on speaking to him. She was a fairly well known girl because she was the daughter of the president of Capsule Corp; she didn't need any rumours about herself floating around in the media or anything, especially with such damaging rumours as superhuman powers!

"... Um..." Soba interrupted her trail of thought. "... You seem familiar... Have we met before? I feel like I know you."

Without a word Hairiyu turned and began to walk away.

"H-Hey! Don't be rude, I was asking you a question!" Soba started to follow her-

She was gone.

Soba double-took, confused and baffled. One moment she was in front of him, the next she'd gone! What the hell had just happened?

Hairiyu watched amongst the leaves, hiding in a nearby tree. She breathed a small sigh of relief as a bewildered Soba slowly wandered away mumbling to himself. Cautiously she climbed down from the tree and snuck away in the opposite direction. Thoughts clouded her mind. She hadn't paid attention to any of the other hostages during the jewellery raid but seeing this man up close stuck a point in her mind. She had the feeling he wasn't far wrong with his inquiries; she had the feeling she'd met him before. His mannerisms seemed familiar, as did his face but she couldn't place where he'd known him from.

In any case, Hairiyu was confident she wouldn't bump into him again. Cautious and nervous she'd be found, she once again took to the skies heading back for home.

"_Happy Birthday!"_ Videl's voice came down the phone.

"Thank you," Hairiyu replied, shifting some of her paper work back into a pile, one hand keeping her wireless phone by her ear. She hadn't quite got the knack of keeping it in place between her shoulder and face without dropping it at some point! "Can't say I'm enjoying it right now!"

"_How come?"_

"Mama's making me work today," Hairiyu sighed. "I snuck out of the office for a little while but ran into a bit of trouble along the way. I'll tell you more about it tonight."

"_Sounds like your mama's really getting you into the swing of things. In any case it's probably for the best. I'm still instructing the students at dad's dojo; there's some real promise with some of them, not that they'd ever compare to you guys!"_

"Yeah, sounds good. How are you and Gohan getting along?" Hairiyu smirked; sure enough Videl sounded a little flustered down the phone!

"_Y-Yeah, things are going well. Gohan's working towards his PhD and has a place secured at Satan City University. Naturally Chichi's very proud of him!"_

"You're avoiding the question," Hairiyu giggled. "Glad he's got a place though. Chichi will be ecstatic!"

"Ahem!" Hairiyu glanced up, jumping when she realised her mother was standing at the doorway of her office.

"Hold on Videl, I've gotta go, mama's just caught me talking to you! I'll see you later!"


	105. Chapter 104

**Chapter 104 – Reunited**

Age 776, May 30th

Soba sat at his desk typing away searching for any jobs in the local area. His search would have gone far quicker if he hadn't been distracted. Even Ramen could see something else was on her little brother's mind.

A couple of days ago Soba had come home in a huff and had started ranting about this strange girl who'd been incredibly rude and had completely ignored him. He'd recognised her from the jewellery raid a week ago and had asked if she was alright, yet she'd never even uttered a word and had ran off! Ramen had been hesitant to point out to her furious brother that the girl could have been foreign and not understood him, or could have been mute! She knew what he was like; Soba had always had a fiery temper.

At first he'd seemed angry but now Ramen wasn't so sure. Soba had seemed unusually stubborn to drop the subject, bringing it up once every day, mentioning he was sure he'd recognised the girl. At first she'd teased him about having a crush on this girl but Soba's abnormal reaction of shrugging it off made her think twice. Whoever this girl was had clearly caught his attention and she had the feeling her brother would search day and night until he found his answer to whom she was.

It didn't take long for Soba to come across something useful. Frustrated with his job search, he had gone off to figure out where he'd recognised this girl from. He had two important clues; her appearance and – if he wasn't mistaken – her ability to fly! Soba had seen this before on two occasions during his childhood. It had never made sense to him and had freaked him out on both occasions. He could still remember both memories vaguely but was sure it had involved two different girls. For starters the first girl had dark brown hair whilst the second girl had blonde spiky hair with bluish-green eyes...

He took the only lead he had; the first girl. He couldn't remember her name and had no way of identifying her but Soba knew the first girl had been at his school for a little while when he lived in West City. She'd had dark brown hair, similar to that of the girl from a couple of days ago. He didn't know anyone who could fly or even if flying was possible, yet there was a strong chance that these two girls were one and the same. Both were seen in West City, both had dark brown hair, both had seemed his age.

"How's it going?"

Soba almost jumped out of his skin, spinning on his chair to see Ramen in the doorway, giggling at his reaction.

"Silly, did I scare you? Sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?" Ramen smiled with amusement at her brother's shock.

"N-No, I was just thinking," Soba shook his head a little annoyed he'd reacted to the degree he had done! He hated it when his sister or brother would make him jump by not even bothering to knock on his door. "I think I may have a lead on this girl but I'm not sure."

"Oh, well don't stalk around too much trying to rack your brains," Ramen rolled her eyes impressed by her younger brother's dedication, "I don't think your obsession with this is healthy!"

"I'm not stalking, I'm just trying to remember who that girl was; I know I've seen her before!" Soba grumbled.

"Well just remember to stop and eat at some point and go to bed," Ramen smiled, turning to leave the room. "Good luck finding your girlfriend!"

The lack of response from her little brother at her remark reinforced just how serious he was about this search. Without another word, Ramen headed downstairs leaving her brother in peace. This would be something he'd be focusing on for quite a while, she just knew it. _'Well as long as it doesn't interfere with his job hunting...'_

"What? Are you serious?" Bulma gasped furious. "You were spotted landing?"

"Yeah, only by one person though," Hairiyu nodded calmly, fiddling around with a screwdriver inside a small gadget. Inside she was shaking; that tone of voice always made her quiver in fear. Her mother had been her main carer when she was little and had also been the strict and stern parent who'd dish out the punishment for whenever Hairiyu'd stepped out of line. Right now Hairiyu knew she'd stepped out of line and no matter how old she'd become, she still felt she could burst into tears just as she used to in her toddler years!

"What were you doing out of the office?" Bulma snapped leaning on the side of the bench beside her daughter, unimpressed with how calmly and nonchalantly her daughter was handling this.

"I was grabbing some lunch; I didn't have to meet you until later." Hairiyu responded a little more cautiously, catching a glimpse of her mother's glare from the corner of her eye.

Bulma had one hand on her forehead, eyes closed and head held high. "... You do realise as the soon-to-be vice-president of Capsule Corp that the media is going to take an interest in you? You've got to be careful out there, Hairiyu!"

"I know," Hairiyu nodded muttering a little, frustrated with the apparent broken device in front of her. Why was it she could work out how to fix something when telling someone else but couldn't do the same when it was her job to fix it? "Don't worry, there were no cameras or anything; just the one guy that saw me and nothing more."

"That's the problem; that guy could have recognised who you were," Bulma pointed out, stressing her words slightly as she leant further against the desk at her daughter's side. "If he goes to the tabloids about this they'll have a ball-park. You've seen how ruthless these journalists can be. I don't want any of them on my front yard asking me about my family!"

"Look mama, it'll be fine," Hairiyu looked away from her work and at her mother. "It was one guy. Who says he'd recognise me... More to the point, what sad people would know what I look like; I'm not even in the lime-light! Besides, who says I'll ever bump into that guy again? Who says he lives in West City? The world's a big place!"

Bulma sighed and leaned off the desk with exasperation. "...I still think you're missing the point. You were caught; you've gotta make sure this won't happen again. Please, if you're going to buy lunch walk to the local shops, don't fly!"

"What?" Hairiyu frowned with a whinge in her voice, "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Bulma nodded sternly. "We can't afford for this to happen with the position you're in within the company now. You're just gonna have to get used to it."

"Stupid guy... Why'd I tell you about this?" Hairiyu grumbled under her breath so her mother hopefully couldn't hear. She hated having to walk to the local; everyone there knew who she was and she hated the suck-ass attention she got from them, even if she got discount! At least by coming further into the city she had a gigantic choice of places to grab lunch; she wouldn't have to visit the same shop twice because there were so many of them! Frustrated with her new 'consequence' and growing increasingly irate with the object in her hands, she gave in with the device she was fiddling with and sat back in her chair with a huff. "I'll never fix this damn thing!"

"You'll get the hang of it," Bulma mumbled as she wandered over to her workstation half-attentively, much to her daughter's chagrin. Hairiyu was capable of basic mechanical repairs but she had no idea how half the things her mother and grandfather made were built! Not even the blueprints were of much help; she was sure there were some parts in here which had been updated since the original blueprints had been made! Having to follow in her mother's and grandfather's footsteps was a pain, especially since she didn't feel as enthusiastic as she thought she ought to. Then again there was no let-up from her paternal side; Vegeta was still trying to make her train and for the first time in her life, Hairiyu found the demands of both parents were irritating. She'd always felt this way when it came to work at Capsule Corp but even training with her father was becoming more like a chore than a way to spend her time. Trunks had also taken to spending less time training, instead going to school and playing indoors and with friends he'd met from school, often other parents had mentioned to Bulma about how aggressive her son was around their children, always wanting to fight with them! Both siblings had infuriated their father with their lack of drive and laziness to most things, which apparently had come from their mother.

Her parents' spats were fun to watch for both siblings. Ever since the fight against Buu had drawn to an end the number of spats had increased but the nature of them had changed. Whereas before it'd be about her father not really being around and always forcing Hairiyu and Trunks to train, now it was more about his role as a 'husband' and a father! They'd often quibble about their children's future or about the small things such as Vegeta not putting down the toilet seat, or scaring the neighbours with aggressive threats despite knowing how to interact with them by now!

"Oh, before I forget, tomorrow we have some potential employees coming to visit," Bulma drew her daughter from her thoughts. "I'm going to need you to show them around the complex and take them to the interview rooms."

"Fine," Hairiyu nodded, rolling her eyes. "What time are they due over?"

"Around half eleven."

"Joy..." Hairiyu quietly mumbled to herself fed up and frustrated. She rose from her desk and wandered over to her mother's bench. "Do we know what any of these potential employees are like?"

"Nope, that's what tomorrow is about," Bulma replied. "... I know it's not the most interesting job you could be doing but I'm trying to gradually introduce you to the business. Papa wouldn't have let me do anything like this until I was twenty-three; you're more capable than you give yourself credit for... and I'll bet if you put your mind to it, you can fix that device."

"I could break it further," Hairiyu snorted with a smirk eyeing up the small object with a malicious look. "I'm far better at breaking things than I am fixing them, or at least by myself I am."

The moon had long since vanished into the dawn, the sun rising over the sea. He could just about hear the sound of seagulls calling over towards the shore, some flying over his home. He'd spent almost all night up racking his brains as to where he recognised the girl from. Sleep wouldn't stop him, it wasn't like he had to be anywhere any time soon...

Finally at half past four in the morning, Soba had a revelation.

West City Elementary School.

"So you think you went to school with her?" Ramen asked, sipping on her morning coffee slightly concerned with the dark rings around her brother's eyes. Indeed his obsession was quite impressive but scary, she hated it when he'd force himself to stay awake!

"Yeah, I'm sure of it," Soba – looking like death warmed up – grimly nodded. The apparent lack of sleep showed clearly; his hair was a mess and he had dark circles under his eyes, not to mention his temper was shorter than its usual self! He was aware of it but made no attempt to hide it. "I don't think, I know, okay?" He added sternly.

"Alright, alright, I'll take your word for it," Ramen replied, knowing better not to argue with him in this mood. It wouldn't do any good, even if he was partially delusional and teetering on the edge of consciousness Soba's temper could be a handful. "Do you remember her name?" She asked.

"No... She wasn't there for very long... and she wasn't in any of the school photos..." Soba mumbled, closing his eyes for a brief moment before opening them once again. "... I can't remember her name but I talked to her once... I think she was supposed to be famous."

"You say she had dark hair?" Ramen mumbled, sipping her coffee again. "... And you think she's famous... Would she still be in West City do you think?"

"No clue," Soba replied with a yawn.

Ramen paused for a moment before smiling. "Alright, I have a proposal for you. While you look to hunt for a job, I shall indulge in my celebrity magazines and see if I can find her in any of those, alright?"

"... Whatever," Soba mumbled.

"... You really should just go back to bed Soba." Ramen added smiling with pity as her brother slumped against the table. He swayed onto his unsteady feet without a word and vanished past the door, his heavy footsteps thumping up the stairs. Ramen listened until she was certain he'd made it to his own room and sighed. _'That boy really is a moron sometimes...'_ Still she was intrigued by this girl and why she intrigued Soba so much...

Age 776, June 5th

"Soba, Somen's here! Come on down and say hi!" Ramen called up the stairs.

Soba sighed and turned away from his desk, closing the window he'd held open on his computer. Not another distraction. As much as Soba loved his sister and didn't mind so much when she interrupted something he was focusing on, knowing his brother was here drove him up the wall. Somen was the eldest and was a full twelve years older than Soba.

He was everything Soba was not. Successful; earning enough to support himself and his wife; even helping to pay the rent for Ramen and Soba's house when their father could not afford to; Somen was the major bread-winner of the family. He had taken a job at Capsule Corp years ago and had never looked back since. His successfulness had always led to praise from his father, something Soba resented him for. His father never praised him after all, almost always Somen. Furthermore, during their youth Somen had almost tried to act more like a father than a brother around Soba, raising him as if he were a child instead of treating him like a brother. The sibling rivalry had been strong between them although it was largely one-sided. Somen resented Soba's rebellious nature whilst Soba resented Somen's spite and discontent with him. It made family get-togethers difficult, especially for Ramen who had to act as the peace-maker, host, and the messenger!

Soba begrudgingly made his way down the stairs, greeting his brother with a small wave before parking himself on the opposite side of the room. Somen made little motion to acknowledge his little brother, merely glancing at him briefly and giving a nod.

Ramen stared at them both with a worried frown, "... I see you two get along as well as ever..." She sighed in anguish. "Seriously, you two need to get past this! What's done is done! Man up and make up!"

"Drop it Ramen," Soba muttered.

"... It's alright Ramen, it's mutual," Somen glared at Soba; Soba knew he was trying to hold his tongue, probably to tell him to respect his sister and not be so rude to her.

"I know," Ramen sat herself down, "So Somen, how are things at work? Got any catalogues showing the new stock?"

"I brought their news coverage of new products being released," Somen revealed a rather large magazine from his bag, passing it to Ramen. "Apart from that, work's pretty busy. I may be getting a promotion soon; my boss seems to recognise how valuable I am a member of the organisation and feels I'm capable of far more than I'm being given. Pretty soon I reckon I'll be working directly under the president herself, Ms Bulma Brief!"

"Wow, you're really climbing the corporate ladder," Ramen beamed, passing through the pages of the magazine.

"News is going around that the daughter and heir to the Capsule Corporation is undergoing training under Bulma herself," Somen continued. "I've heard she's not too bad but still has a lot to learn. I bet there's a thing or two I could teach her!"

Soba rolled his eyes and stopped listening to his brother's ass comments. Once again he'd gone off into a rant of how fantastic and successful he was. Bored and uncomfortable having to sit in the same room as his brother, Soba glanced around the room, jaw resting in the palm of his hand.

"Sounds like you'll go far, although you should probably tone down the confidence, Somen," Ramen smiled holding back her own thoughts about her brother's arrogance.

"There's a small report on the heir in there somewhere," Somen added. "She's pretty young, only twenty."

"Same age as Soba then," Ramen mused.

"I'm nineteen," Soba butted in. "I'm not quite twenty yet sis! Give it a couple more months! My birthday's in December!"

"He's twenty? Geez I thought he was younger than that with how much work he's had," Somen muttered; smirking when he saw the look of annoyance on his younger brother's face.

"Would you two pack it in?" Ramen grumbled quick off the mark. "I refuse to put up with another fight between you! I will seriously chuck both of you outta the house!" She flicked through the pages, stopping as something caught her eye. "... Oh, here it is. The heir to the Capsule Corporation... Wow, she barely looks like her mother!"

"I know," Somen agreed. "The hair must come from her father; she's nowhere near as beautiful as her mother."

"Aww I think she's pretty!" Ramen nudged her older brother in the arm, eyes falling on the photo of Hairiyu Brief. A small breath hitched in her throat as an idea popped to mind. It seemed so simple, why had she not thought of it before? "... Soba, come take a look at her."

"Why?" Soba grumbled, annoyed he had to look in the direction his brother sat in.

"Just come see," Ramen smiled. "Could this be the girl you mean?"

"Girl?" Somen repeated confused and a little intrigued. "Soba? Really? A girl? What the heck are you talking about Ramen?"

Begrudgingly Soba rose to his feet and wandered over, eyes falling on the picture. Suddenly he snatched the magazine from his sister's hands, getting a closer look and studying it with great interest as he carefully studied the photo.

"Hey, don't snatch things! Geez, you're twenty and you still act like a spoilt kid!" Somen snapped.

"I'm not twenty!" Soba bellowed looking up briefly before staring at the picture once again.

"... Is it the one?" Ramen asked, a little annoyed the magazine had been prized from her so forcefully.

"... Yeah, this is her! I recognise the hair!" Soba nodded. "... Hairiyu Brief..."

Alarm bells suddenly rang in his mind. Soba exhaled in shock as the cogs in his head began to turn, memories being pulled out from the depths, memories he'd been sure he no longer had.

"Wh-What?" Ramen stuttered shocked.

"I remember!" Soba cried excited. "They're one and the same! Hairiyu, I'm sure that was her name! She was in my class for a short space of time in Elementary School! Kana introduced her to me! Of course; she was the granddaughter of the founder of Capsule Corp!"

"Wait, you know her?" Somen exclaimed leaping to his feet. "You went to the same school as the current heiress to Capsule Corp? Hold on a minute... Why is this so important? What's going on?" He turned more to Ramen than Soba, expecting the answer from her, of which it came.

"Soba saw the heiress about a week ago," Ramen explained. "The first time she was a hostage in a jewellery store robbery, then he says he saw her land in the park almost a week later."

Somen stared at his siblings. A smirk etched its way onto his face, breath expelling from his throat as he roared with laughter. "He saw her 'land'? What does that mean?" He chortled.

"I saw her descend from the sky," Soba reluctantly explained, knowing his brother would only ridicule him. Of course this only made Somen laugh harder; Ramen frowning a little concerned as she noticed Soba's fists tighten.

"You're an idiot, Soba! You saw her come from the sky? Geez, I always knew you'd get hooked on drugs or something!"

"Somen!" Ramen spat annoyed. "Soba's not a druggie! Look, he said he's seen her fly on more than one occasion! Plus something strange happened in the robbery they were both in! The robbers suddenly collapsed for no reason!"

"That could have been a stroke or a heart-attack," Somen explained, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Simultaneous heart-attacks, you've gotta watch out for those!" Soba sarcastically snorted. "Look, I found it really hard to believe it too but I've seen this before; once when I was in Elementary School and once when I was ten!"

"Yeah, I remember the second one, that girl we met on the beach" Ramen confirmed. "... Only she was blonde and had crazy spiked up hair! It was a really weird hairstyle!"

"... How much did he pay you to agree with him?" Somen asked still seeing it all as one big joke.

"I did not pay her!" Soba bellowed rising to his feet. "You know what, it doesn't matter whether you wanna believe me or not, I couldn't care less about you! I'm gonna find this girl and confront her about it!"

"Confront her?" Somen smirked amused by his brother's choice of words. "I don't think you know who you're dealing with! This is the heiress of Capsule Corp, the next in line to the throne of the biggest corporation in the market! There is no way you will ever be able to reach her with the amount of guards and security surrounding her and her family!"

"I can try," Soba grumbled. "They must be slacking pretty badly if they gave you a job!"

"That's enough!" Ramen bellowed loudly, rising to her feet. Though she was shorter than them both her presence felt far larger and both brothers shuddered. "Both of you two just shut up and give it a rest! I'm tired of your bickering! Now will you both just grow up and show each other a little respect? Can that really be so hard?"

Both brothers begrudgingly said nothing, folding their arms and pouting in a similar fashion.

"Alright, so we think the heiress is the girl you used to go to school with and also the girl involved in the jeweller's robbery," Ramen spoke calmer this time, "What do we do with this information?"

None of the siblings knew the answer to this. Somen was right; surely the heiress of a company so huge would have a lot of protection around her and would be nearly impossible to get to.

"... Well... I do work at Capsule Corp..." Somen mumbled. "... As much as I'm struggling to believe either of you, I am the only one who can get into the building. Maybe I can do some snooping around."

"... Yeah, I guess that's all we've got right now," Ramen nodded. "We've gotta make sure she doesn't suspect a thing otherwise you could very well lose your job."

"I feel like a criminal," Soba muttered.


	106. Chapter 105

**Chapter 105 – The Assistant**

Age 776, June 8th

"What? Mr Satan's invited us too? I can't say I was expecting that..." Bulma mused, phone to her ear. "... Uh huh... Oh, it's Videl more-or-less needing us to be there then! Alright, tell them both we'll be there! ... Alright, I'll talk to you soon. Bye."

Hairiyu sighed and slouched back in her chair, closing her eyes. Three hours of paper work and she wasn't even half-way through. "... This is why I hate this job, mama..." She mumbled to herself.

Glancing over to the window, the usual plan came to mind. Skip out for an hour or so and come back later... Getting to her feet, the half-human half-Saiyan hybrid peered down to the grassy garden below. No one was out there...

Hairiyu carefully opened the window and slipped out.

Somen wandered down the office corridors of the Capsule Corp building. He'd been incredibly lucky to have landed this task and be able to actually see the heiress in the flesh! Even after six years of working with the company, Somen had barely come into contact with the current president and had not seen her daughter at all. Now he could somehow get her to confess she could fly... or fail miserably and find out she wasn't capable of such things, whilst getting to hang it over Soba's head for years to come!

'_I hope she can't fly,'_ Somen smirked to himself.

Reaching her office, he politely knocked on the door. "Miss Brief, I have some more forms for you."

There was no answer. "... Miss Brief?" Somen repeated. Still nothing. Cautiously Somen opened the door.

He was surprised to find no one here! "... Maybe she's on a toilet break..." He mused to himself uncertain before leaving the room.

"So why aren't you at work?" Gohan asked still looking surprised to see his friend and a little concerned about the trouble she'd get into with her mother later on. "It's not like you to skip out."

"I can't stay in that office and continue to do paperwork!" Hairiyu huffed. "It's just so boring!"

The two friends had crossed paths in the sky; Gohan had apparently been coming over to West City to come visit her and the family but instead was now talking with Hairiyu on a rather steep mountain top. At least here no one would see them, hear them or catch them flying off!

"I don't know if I'm cut out for this," Hairiyu frowned feeling a little unconfident in her abilities. "Mama has such high expectations but I don't know if this is what I wanna do..."

"Well, what would you do instead?" Gohan asked. "You're the heiress of the Capsule Corporation; you're pretty well-known in the marketing world."

"I know..." Hairiyu sighed. "... and it would break mama's heart if I said I wasn't interested... It's not that I'm not interested, really. When I can be in the workshop it's far more challenging and interesting, although at times frustrating... especially when you've spent three days trying to work out what's wrong with something only to have your grandfather take a small look and fix it in the blink of an eye! That was embarrassing... I just hate being cooped up in that stupid office being stuck with paperwork! I don't know if I can stay in there any longer!"

"Alright, alright, calm down," Gohan chuckled. "Gosh, I never thought I'd see you stressing out so much over this."

"... I feel like there're things in my life I'm missing," Hairiyu continued. "... I haven't got much of a social life; I'm almost always working in the lab or the office, plus... Well... You've got Videl; I haven't got a boyfriend... I have maternal instincts too; I want a family! I can't see me being able to get any of this with all the work I have! Dammit I wanna live and have a life outside of work!"

"W-Well... Why don't you hire someone to help you with your work?" Gohan suggested, a light blush on his face from her comment of him and Videl. "It would mean you'd have a little more free time and can go do those things... Then I could tell Krillin so he and I could tease you about having a boyfriend!"

Hairiyu stared quietly at her friend. "... Yeah... I guess I could do that... Oh, and tell Krillin about this and I will hurt you!"

"Yep, you're starting to sound like yourself again!" Gohan chuckled. He'd come to know those type of threats weren't really meant in a serious way, she'd just lightly tap him around the head or something... or so he assumed! "Get someone to do some of your paperwork but make sure your mother's alright with this. I'm sure there'll be someone willing to do it for you if you pay them right!"

"Yeah, I guess so," Hairiyu agreed sceptical uncertain about what would be a decent rate of pay. Her sense of real money was warped by her upbringing and being surrounded by wealth. "... Now I feel like I'm being lazy and not rising to the challenge!" She couldn't ask Gohan what a decent wage was; his family were practically at the opposite end of the wealth scale! Was she over-thinking this? She wasn't really sure...

"Hey, you're trying as hard as you can right now; do you really wanna continue this on your own?" Gohan asked.

"... I'm hiring an assistant!" Hairiyu decided. "Thanks Gohan, I dunno what I'd do without you! Oh before I forget, why is Mr Satan holding a party for us? Mama said something about it the other day?"

"Oh, that's because his new hotel has been opened," Gohan explained, "No one remembers he defeated Buu but they do know he saved the planet for something thanks to the Dragonballs. Well this hotel's been built in his honour for that and he's invited all of us as a thank you. Videl was worried about this all though; I think she's still a little embarrassed about her dad taking all the credit again."

"Can you blame her?" Hairiyu giggled. "I'd be embarrassed if my dad was as crazy as Mr Satan... Hell, I was embarrassed of my dad being an evil maniac!"

Hairiyu peered through the window of her office to see if anyone was inside, a little anxious as her heart would not stop thumping in her chest. If her mother caught her now...

No sign of life.

Cautiously she slipped back into her office, closing the window behind her and sitting back in her chair. None of the paperwork had been done, much to her misery. Gohan had the right idea; she needed an assistant if she was going to live through this!

"Um... Miss Brief; are you there?"

The voice startled Hairiyu and for a brief moment she panicked. No, he couldn't have seen her; the voice was coming from the other side of the door and a shadow had only just appeared in front of the glass. "C-Come in," Hairiyu called.

The door opened, Somen walking in nervously. "Ah, sorry to bother you miss but your mother has given you some more paperwork."

Hairiyu groaned and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "... Alright... pop it on my desk with the rest of it..." She pointed over to a couple of piles of paperwork which was starting to stick out in odd directions. Somen did as he was told, placing the pile of work onto his superior's desk. Nerves had hit him; this was the first time he'd seen the heiress in the flesh!

"... Hey, do you want a raise and a new job as my assistant?" Hairiyu asked.

"Eh? Um... Does my staying here at Capsule Corp depend on my answer?" Somen stuttered anxious he was about to upset her.

"No... Why would it?" Hairiyu mumbled a little baffled by his answer. He sounded a little nervous being around her which made her feel a little bad; was she really feared as much by everyone as she seemed to be by this guy? She didn't want to be feared by employees... or men in general!

"Oh... well in that case... no, I enjoy what I'm doing at the moment so no thank you miss," Somen replied apologetically. "... May I inquire why?" Perhaps he'd said too much, Somen screamed at himself inside his mind fearful his curiosity would get him fired!

"It's nothing; I figured there's so much paperwork here that someone may as well do it as a job if I'm supposed to be running this business one day," Hairiyu mused. "Sorry if I put you on the spot there, I didn't mean to pressure you. I'll put out an ad or something and start recruiting people..."

Somen went to leave the room, suddenly stopping in his tracks.

"... You forget something?" Hairiyu asked keeping one eye on the man as he was leaving, a little unsure why he'd suddenly stopped. His behaviour was a little suspicious and she was beginning to grow a little unsure of him.

"... Excuse me for sticking my nose in your business miss but I may have a person who would be more than happy to take the job," Somen turned around nervously. "My younger brother is currently jobless; in his most recent job he worked in an office. He loves to do paperwork, he literally breathes paperwork! May I nominate him for the role?"

"Sure, I guess so," Hairiyu shrugged her shoulders.

"... May I go so far as to you giving him the job?" Somen flinched.

"Give him the job? I haven't even met the guy yet," Hairiyu chuckled. "I'll organise an interview for him and see how it goes from there!"

Age 776, June 14th

Hairiyu couldn't believe her luck. She couldn't believe the chances. She couldn't believe she'd happily had let her mother take over her organisation of the interview and let her mother hire her assistant! Surely this should have been something Hairiyu herself could have and should have organised for experience, not her mother! She'd never forgive her for this; she should have at least been present in the interviewing to see how she felt about the candidates!

Soba Shirataki.

As soon as she'd spotted him in her own house walking down the corridors as Bulma showed him around, Hairiyu'd whirled around and hurriedly run back to the bathroom in a panic. Logic had left her and in a desperate struggle to hide her identity and throw him off, Hairiyu'd done something she'd regretted.

She'd chopped her hair.

She hadn't cut it; she'd chopped it. She hated it! Franticly trying to alter her appearance with one hand and her own ki, Hairiyu had roughly sliced through the dark strands. It's not like her hair had been long in the first place. She'd been left almost in tears when she'd seen her final work, arms dropping to her sides as she regretted ever coming up with the idea to cut her own hair in the first place. Now she looked boring! Her hair had lost its volume and wildness and now looked round and smooth, barely passing below her ears! She'd dared not touch her fringe after the massacre that had occurred!

The worst part was Soba still recognised her.

Soba couldn't believe his luck. Out of the blue his brother had got him a job. His brother – who hated him – had found him a job. Soba'd been reluctant until Somen had mentioned who he'd be working for. It was an offer he couldn't refuse, even if it did mean he'd be stuck doing her paperwork all day!

The president of Capsule Corp – Bulma Brief – was far prettier and nicer a lady than Soba had realised. She'd walked him through the tasks he'd be expected to do and told him a little about her daughter; bright, confident, athletic... and a little lazy when it came to paperwork! The shoddy work she'd done to her hair reflected the laziness in Soba's eyes; couldn't she have just bothered to get it cut by a real hairdresser? What was she trying to hide anyway?

"... How's the work going?" Hairiyu asked as she shuffled through her part of the paperwork, annoyed her mother had insisted she help her assistant. He was an assistant for a reason; she was the one who needed the help!

"Good," Soba mumbled, resisting the urge to ask the questions buzzing in his mind.

The conversation was awkward. If this is what every day would be like then Soba was in for one hell of a working day. There had to be something else to talk about other than how work was going; it was the fifth time in an hour she'd asked that question! He couldn't hold back any longer, something was trying to slip from his lips-

"... Why'd you get the haircut?" Soba asked almost blurting the question out.

Hairiyu glared agitated at her desk, a small blush coming to her face. Even she hated what she'd done to her head and it had been all for nothing! He still recognised her! No, she would not give him the satisfaction of screaming with frustration, she would need to play this cool and pretend nothing was wrong, as hard as that was! "I wanted to try out a new look," She lied, still refusing to confess to him all his suspicions. This boy was going to have to pick his next words carefully; she was already sensitive about how much she now looked like a boy!

"Oh... I see... It suits you..." Soba mumbled.

"You don't need to lie; I won't fire you," Hairiyu grumbled a little insulted. Either he was being too polite for his own good or his sense in what looked good was distorted!

"... It looks terrible." Soba responded trying to hide the small rising of the side of his mouth without much success.

"I said you didn't need to lie; I didn't say tell me the truth! You could have just stayed quiet!" Hairiyu snapped offended.

"Sorry ma'am," Soba grumbled, agitated she'd raised her voice. Soba did not deal well with people raising their voice to him, his fiery temper attempting to rise to the surface. His commitment to professionalism kept it at bay and he swallowed a hard lump down. His sister and brother would never forgive him if they found out he'd walked out on the first day or been fired for something he'd said or done! He had to gather more information from this girl.

A knock from the door stopped the two of them; Bulma walked through into the room with another pile of paper in her arms seeming to be in a good mood. Soba immediately stood up in his seat as a sign of respect; he'd been taught this was what went on at Capsule Corp by his brother though he wasn't sure whether he'd been lied to or not! Bulma seemed a little taken aback by the eager boy's stance and smiled, "You don't have to do that here, really. I'm not royalty or anything so please, take a seat!"

Soba sat himself back down, vowing to find revenge against his brother in some way. Maybe he could poison his food with laxatives or wreck his suit in some way...

Bulma strode over to her daughter's desk peering over the large pile of work the two now had to do, "Looks like you two are really getting along! How's your first day with my daughter so far?" She asked Soba who seemed to be struggling with his reactions.

"It's challenging," Soba grinned, still seething with annoyance.

"That's my daughter for you," Bulma giggled.

"Maybe he was referring to all the paperwork you seem to pull out from nowhere," Hairiyu mumbled irritated with the two of them. She wasn't entirely sure she'd be able to work any better with this new assistant and was beginning to regret taking Gohan's advice!

"I'm sure it's both," Bulma smirked. "So do you remember Soba yet?"

The blank expression on her daughter's face answered the question. Inside Hairiyu began to panic. Did her mother know this was the man she'd bumped into during the jewellery raid and in the park? Had he blurted it out of his big mouth to her? _'I swear if he's said anything...'_

"... Actually ma'am, I haven't told her about that yet," Soba confessed.

"Oh... Well have fun telling her then!" Bulma smiled, turning on her heels as she went to leave the room. "Don't forget to take your lunch break."

"... What was that about?" Hairiyu asked once her mother had closed the door.

"Oh, nothing much..." Soba replied hastily getting back to his work.

Hairiyu pouted and leaned forward, "Tell me. I'm your boss!"

Soba snorted and raised an eyebrow, "Um... With all due respect, ma'am-"

"Stop calling me ma'am whatever you do!" Hairiyu quickly cut him off annoyed with the formality. Calling her ma'am just made her feel older than she really was, she was certain this guy was around the same age as her, maybe slightly older. "Call me Miss Brief or just call me Hairiyu... Call me Hairiyu; Miss Brief sounds too formal for my liking."

"Alright," Soba took in a deep breath. "With all due respect Hairiyu, I really don't think it's relevant to my job, nor is it any of your business... Besides if you won't confirm it was you in the jeweller's robbery or that it was you I saw landing in the park then I don't have to tell you anything."

"... Wow you're rude..." Hairiyu grumbled begrudgingly sitting back in her seat. Soba reminded her a lot of Videl already. That was ok, Hairiyu knew how to handle his type by now and he would soon come to learn she could be just as stubborn and cunning!

The days went by. Despite Hairiyu's initial annoyance of Soba and his persistence, their conversations soon began to grow past him pestering her about the jewellery robbery and the park incident. She was impressed at how good his memory seemed to be and his arithmetic and organisational skills. The first couple of days had been a nuisance; Soba had been late due to his commute and traffic. Hairiyu struck a deal with her new assistant to shift his hours so he could avoid the rush hour traffic. The late morning starts seemed to have paid off and meant that Soba was on time and in a far better mood.

"A party?" Trunks repeated through a mouthful of mushroom rice as another day at Capsule Corp was drawing to an end. "Why?" He was referring to the party Mr Satan was organising for those who'd been involved in the fight against Majin Buu. The family had settled down to eat their dinner, minus Vegeta who was still in the midst of his training.

"For you guys saving the world from Buu," Bulma explained. "We've all been invited to the grand opening of his new hotel, remember?"

"I don't remember this," Trunks mumbled contemplating the implications of this party. "You must have forgot to tell me!" Would there be a bouncy castle or rides? Would there be a clown? He wasn't so keen on them, or at least not as much as Goten seemed to be!

"I told you last week," Bulma protested.

"You told me about it... or was it Gohan who told me...?" Hairiyu mused shovelling another scoop of rice into her mouth.

"Anyway, I said we'd all be there so make sure you don't have any plans," Bulma shot a quick glance at her daughter.

"It's a day I would normally have work; I have no plans," Hairiyu grumbled. _'Hell, I have no life!'_She sighed miserably in her mind.

"Is Goten going?" Trunks asked.

"Of course," Bulma nodded. "I heard Goku took a little convincing until Gohan mentioned the all-you-can-eat buffet... I don't suppose your dad will fall for that, would he?"

"He'd go if you told him Goku would be there," Hairiyu replied. "The food doesn't seem to work on dad as much as Goku..."

Bulma smiled and giggled, "I guess you're right. Hey, here's an idea. Why don't you ask your assistant if he wants to join us?"

Trunks snorted, "Why would she wanna join us?"

"My assistant is a guy," Hairiyu mumbled correcting her little brother, "... and he's right; why would Soba wanna come?" She wasn't entirely sure what her mother was planning but something inside her mind told her she would not like it.

"Your assistant's a guy?" Trunks snorted.

"Well it may be nice for him to get a day off of work from all that paperwork you dump on him," Bulma suggested, "besides, I had a chat with his older brother who works here and he told me Soba has a huge crush on you."

A slight blush came over Hairiyu's face as she swallowed her food almost choking on it! The reddening of her cheeks forced her to look away and glance down at her plate shyly. Was her mother serious or was she just trying to set them up? She was certain she knew who Soba's brother was; if memory served her correctly he was the strange man who'd asked if his brother could have the job. Was he serious or was he just being a mean brother?

"Your guy-assistant has a crush on you? Poor guy..." Trunks sniggered. "He must be ill in the head or something to like you sis!"

"Hey, for all you know you'll end up with the same job when you're older," Hairiyu snapped raising her fist a little though restraining herself from slapping Trunks around the back of the head in front of their mother. "You're second in line; when I become president of Capsule Corp I'm making you my assistant!"

"That would make me vice-president," Trunks pointed out, "Besides, I'd rather have that job rather than this guy's job; sounds like a wimpy job!"

"What are you trying to say?" Bulma glanced at her son. "A man can't have an assistant role?"

"It's a girl's job," Trunks shook his head. Or at least that's what he'd been told by his friends.

"Catch up with the times Trunks; I don't care personally if my assistant is male or female; as long as they do their job!" Hairiyu rolled her eyes.

"So will you take him along?" Bulma cooed at her daughter, an amused look in her eye.

"Fine, Soba can come if he wants," Hairiyu sighed. "Still, I don't see why he'd want to. I'm his boss."

"Actually I'm his boss," Bulma pointed out. "You're the person he reports to."

"What?" Hairiyu gasped. "... Do I have any responsibility at work besides being stuck in an office doing work?"

"Not when you don't do your own paperwork," Bulma answered wryly.


	107. Chapter 106

**Chapter 106 – Satan Hotel's Grand Opening**

Age 776, June 17th

The two-hour plane ride to Satan City was tense. Normally it would take an aircraft far longer to reach the famous city but being part of the family who built these machines had its perks. The new and expensive model was proving to be worth the claims it stood up to. Inside it were all four members of the Brief family... and one guest. Soba had been reluctant to attend at first, finding it far creepier that his boss wanted him to show up alongside her daughter. However Ramen had quickly forced him to change his mind, ranting on about how fantastic it would be to meet celebrities including the world saviour Mr Satan! He was the only person who really caught Soba's interest. Well, he and his daughter!

"Since when have you known Mr Satan?" Soba asked in a hushed voice, slapped next to his 'boss' – or rather the woman he did work for because she was too lazy to do it herself.

"... I'm friends with Videl Satan," Hairiyu replied begrudgingly, annoyed she'd been coaxed into inviting him and even more annoyed he'd agreed to it! She would never forgive her mother for this! What sort of warped plan was she scheming up? If this was supposed to turn out as a date then she'd quickly make her own thoughts known...

"How?" Soba gasped amazed she even knew Videl Satan! He'd never admit this to anyone but he'd had a soft spot for the champion's daughter and had always wanted to meet her in person, though it was a dream he'd never thought he'd even accomplish. To think he could be doing it today!

"It's a long story," Hairiyu replied.

"Wow... she's pretty cute you know, her hair looks a lot better short than yours does!" Soba cheekily smirked.

"She's also going out with my best friend so there's no chance she'll be interested in someone like you," Hairiyu retorted. "... And watch the lip. I can still send you home you know!"

"What, in the middle of the ocean? I doubt that," Soba rolled his eyes with a smirk. "You're not the one flying the plane – your mother is!"

"Will you two put a sock in it!" Bulma protested. "Honestly arguing with each other like that, anyone'd think you were married!"

Sharp shades of red appeared on both Hairiyu and Soba's faces at Bulma's comment. "Mama!" Hairiyu spluttered infuriated. "I knew you'd invited him along for a reason!"

"No offense Ms Brief but your daughter's not my type – she's too rude and ugly," Soba retorted turning his attention away from the woman sitting beside him. He didn't have to see her to know her eyes were piercing him as if trying to make him combust and he had to hide the smirk on his face.

"I will fire you," Hairiyu growled venomously.

"Don't worry too much Hairiyu," Bulma chuckled. "You know some guys say nasty things to girls because deep down they actually really like them, they just don't know how to show it properly!"

"I can assure you I'm not one of those guys," Soba snorted. "I'm sick to death of the sight of her!"

"I can fix that if you'd like," Hairiyu snapped. "I'll pull your eyes out from their sockets!"

"Why are you being so mean to this guy?" Trunks butted in curious.

"Thank you!" Soba jeered.

"Normally I'd be saying stuff like that and you tell me off!" Trunks continued. "Why is he even here anyway?"

"Because mama told me to bring him along for some reason," Hairiyu folded her arms slouching in her seat. "I say we chuck him overboard!"

"Enough!" Bulma snapped. "I'll chuck you all overboard if you don't stop arguing!"

The plane went silent after this, everyone keeping their own thoughts to themselves. Hairiyu sighed and looked out the window, half in the mood to just get out and fly so she didn't have to sit next to this moron. She wasn't entirely sure if he'd been playing around or had been serious but the comments hurt no matter how strong the walls she put up were. She couldn't wait to see Gohan and the others and hopefully ditch this insensitive moron as soon as they arrived at the hotel. She wondered what it would look like and whether there would be enough food to feed at least six Saiyan appetites and leave plenty for everyone else attending!

Trunks was staring at the young man on the other side of his sister with apparent interest. He thought he was being discreet but both Hairiyu and Soba'd noticed his constant glancing over in their direction! Neither mentioned it to him, neither dared speak just in case Bulma yelled at them again!

"We're almost there," Bulma announced from the front of the cockpit.

"Good, I'm getting tired of being stuck in this slow machine," Vegeta grumbled, sat next to the woman in the co-pilot seat dressed in his Saiyan armour. Soba had wondered why the man sitting in front of them was wearing such strange clothes. Vegeta was not dressed smartly for such an occasion; he seemed to be dressed in strange spandex and what Soba could only guess was armour. Was it for any particular reason or was the man crazy? He could have sworn he recognised him from somewhere but wasn't sure where...

Hairiyu had gone for the casual look; a black shirt with light-blue ¾ length jeans. She didn't feel like dressing up even if it was a grand opening of a hotel. She wore smart clothes all the time at work; as far as she was concerned today was a day off of work so she could dress how she wanted! At least she wasn't the only one going casual. Soba had felt a little cheeky coming in his own casual clothes but had been put at ease when Bulma had told him it was fine.

The plane began to descend through the skyscrapers of Satan City before it finally landed. Indeed the new hotel was just as the critics said; gigantic and fit for the saviour of Earth! The building had taken two years to complete and had started as soon as Mr Satan had defeated whoever it was that had terrorised Earth. It towered over the other buildings and was at least twenty stories high, pretty gigantic for a hotel! Hairiyu's first impression was that it was over-pompous and over the top as far as grand designs went. She was certain everything in each room would probably be plated with gold just to show off how snazzy and stinking rich its benefactors were!

Soba craned his head back as far as it would go, almost tipping backwards as he looked up towards the roof of the gigantic building. It was a venue Ramen would have killed to have attended. Celebrities everywhere! Mr Satan and his daughter Videl, and even an upcoming martial-arts student named Mr Buu... He'd hit lucky. Apparently it did pay to have links in the right places...

They were quickly greeted by Mr Satan who seemed pleased to see them. Behind him was a short, weedy-looking man in a striped suit and crisp bowtie, his hair well groomed and shimmering a little in the sunlight.

"Is Videl not here?" Hairiyu asked the taller of the two men before them.

"She went to collect Goku's family and the others," Mr Satan replied. "They should be back any minute."

Soba stared wide-eyed from a small distance away from the others as his eyes fell on Mr Satan. Hairiyu turned and caught sight of him with his jaw agape and almost snorted with laughter. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"... You're on speaking terms with the saviour of Earth?" Soba said exasperated, certain his eyes couldn't have gotten any wider if they'd tried. "This is incredible! It's like a party for rich people and I'm the poor, average guy who's allowed to come! Ramen's gonna be so jealous!"

Hairiyu smiled awkwardly, "... I never thought of it that way... I guess you're pretty lucky then!" She hated to admit it but he was probably right. Her family was one of the richest on the whole planet thanks to her grandfather's company. She was used to events like these though for the most part she avoided them like the plague; too many people and flashing cameras weren't good for the soul as far as she was concerned and she loved her privacy... not that she'd have much of it left by this rate.

"We should go find somewhere to sit," Bulma mused, grimacing slightly as Vegeta wandered off towards one of the nearby walls marking the boundary of the outer courtyard and away from her and his family. "I'm sure the party will start soon."

Eventually both Goku's family and Krillin's family arrived alongside Videl, Dende, Korin, Yajirobe, Puar and Oolong. The party was to start soon and everyone was led to their seats where they would be dining.

"Hey, it's great to see you again," Krillin waved as he made his way over towards Hairiyu, eyes widening a little. "What's with the bad haircut?" He snorted trying so hard to keep back his amusement but failing miserably!

"I was having an off day!" Hairiyu snapped cheeks reddening as she instinctively reached for shoulder-length hair that was no longer there. "... It's nice to see you too!" She added with distain, smiling a little as Eighteen and Marron approached them. Little Marron clung to her mother's hand tightly; blonde hair in pigtails just as they had been two years prior.

"So seriously, what happened?" Krillin chuckled. "I thought you told me you kept your hair the same to honour your Saiyan heritage!"

"I just wanted a new look, that's all," Hairiyu replied conscientious, eyes briefly flickering over to Soba who was thankfully standing near to her mother.

"Hey, we finally made it," Gohan came over from the plane, splitting away from his mother and brother. "How long have you been waiting?"

"Half an hour," Hairiyu replied raising one eyebrow with surprise. "Wow, you're all dressed up. Did Chichi make you wear that?"

"No, I thought we were dressing smart," Gohan replied sheepishly, eyes flitting to the left a little. "Oh, who's your friend?"

Hairiyu realised Soba had joined them. "Oh, you remember suggesting I get an assistant for my work? Well this is him! Everyone this is Soba Shirataki; Soba this is Gohan, Krillin, Eighteen and the little girl's name is Marron."

"That's a lot of unusual names to take in," Soba awkwardly shook Gohan and Krillin's hands. "Nice to meet you all."

Krillin grinned at Hairiyu; Hairiyu recognising the look and glaring. "Don't even start!" She snapped raising one fist to his face; she would not put up with this – not today of all days! Any other day would be more acceptable just not today!

"Start what?" Krillin sniggered teasingly. "Will your boyfriend get angry at me?"

"He's not my boyfriend," Hairiyu growled venomously.

"I'm not her boyfriend you short ass!" Soba spat taking a small step away from Hairiyu and looking as if standing too close to her would make him ill. "Geez, can't a guy and a girl be in the same place without people assuming they're in a relationship? What's everyone's damn problem?"

Gohan, Krillin and Eighteen were a little shocked with Soba's sudden outburst. Even Hairiyu stared stunned and taken aback at Soba. "... Hey, calm down, ok? He's an old friend of mine who just happens to tease me about guys; please don't be so rude Soba." She spoke.

"Why do people assume so much when they know nothing?" Soba grunted folding his arms and wandering off.

"Short?" Krillin grumbled fuming.

"Didn't really expect that reaction did you?" Gohan chuckled nervously.

"I don't think any of us did!" Hairiyu sighed.

The hotel was gigantic, sitting near to a cliff looking over the ocean beyond. The entrance to the hallway where the ceremony was taking place took the group over a wooden walkway over what seemed to be a large moat; the dining area settled in the middle of the lake. Hairiyu took interest at the building around her, impressed with the architect and how luxurious the entire place seemed. Definitely a place she would have to stay during a business trip to Satan City and she knew if she pulled strings she could get a room for free!

The ceremony soon started. Hairiyu felt her stomach growling furiously for food as she set eyes upon the tables before them. Foods from all over the globe had been laid out before them and it was all theirs to eat. She and Soba sat themselves down on a table; those around them – particularly Dende and Piccolo – had caught the young man's interest.

"You really do have a temper on you; I've never seen you act like that!" Hairiyu exclaimed in awe. "You're not even that rude to me!"

"Yeah well I don't like people teasing me about things," Soba grumbled. "I get enough of that from Somen! Man I hate that jackass..."

"Hey, he's your brother," Hairiyu frowned alarmed by Soba's apparent view of his own brother. She could never imagine feeling that way about Trunks, even if he did do her head in at times!

"You'd be agreeing with me if you knew my brother," Soba insisted. "He's so up himself! The guy is delusional and such a suck-up!"

"He did get you your job," Hairiyu pointed out.

"That's the one nice thing he's done," Soba sighed. "... I know he's up to something. Somen wouldn't suddenly be nice to me like this. He's gotta be planning to blackmail me or something."

"... Really?" Hairiyu asked before placing more food into her mouth. "He really can't just be being a nice older brother?" She was finding it difficult to believe an older sibling could be that mean to one of their younger siblings. She would never consider being that mean to Trunks even if at times he got on her nerves and pushed her to the point she was convinced she'd have to kill him! It was all a meaningless threat but to actually treat your younger brother like Soba seemed to be suggesting?

"No way in hell would Somen be nice to me," Soba shook his head. "Trust me, I know my brother."

A small pause took over as the two began to eat, Soba soon breaking the silence with a question.

"... Why is it your dad and that other spiky-haired guy are arguing?"

"Oh, ignore them; they do it all the time but believe it or not they're pretty good friends," Hairiyu replied nervously. She had noticed both her dad and Goku were doing their usual trick of competing with each other and their Saiyan appetites worried her; what kind of impression would it leave on Soba? He was a normal human who'd never been exposed to people such as this!

"... Also... those two guys look a little ill," Soba subtly pointed over to Piccolo and Dende. "There are some really strange people here... and your brother won't stop staring over here..."

Hairiyu quickly glanced over to the table her parents and brother were eating at, catching her brother's eyes dart rapidly away from them.

"Hey guys," Videl interrupted, much to Hairiyu's relief as the conversation between her and Soba was growing uncomfortable with all the questions. "How's the food?"

"It's delicious," Hairiyu smiled, finding the amazed look on Soba's face amusing; he still hadn't got his head around her being friends with the daughter of Mr Satan. "Have you eaten yet?" She added

"No, I've been thanking everyone for coming over," Videl replied, taking a quick glance at Soba and smiling politely. "So who's the guy you've brought along?"

"Before you make the same mistake Krillin made, Soba here is my assistant at work," Hairiyu explained. "Soba, I'm sure you know who Videl is."

"... I can't believe you two are friends..." Soba was too busy gawking to speak properly, almost dribbling the sentence out as if he'd lost all ability to talk properly!

"Nice to meet you," Videl ignored the admiring look for the most part; Hairiyu sensing a slight twinge in Gohan's ki as the boy turned in his seat to watch his girlfriend converse with others.

"Videl's actually going out with my childhood best friend, Gohan," Hairiyu added before her childhood friend could get too hot under the collar at all the attention Soba was giving Videl. "He's the tallish guy in the suit you met along with Krillin."

"It looks like dad's about to start his speech, I'd better get up there with him," Videl wandered away over towards her father who stood alongside Mr Buu and who appeared to be the head waiter.

Hairiyu watched for a moment before turning back to Soba with a smirk, "Sorry Soba but she's a taken girl," she chirped.

"... Lucky bastard..." Soba mumbled quietly in chagrin.

"Everyone, thank you for travelling such long distances to be here today!" Mr Satan's voice rang out across the hallway. "We are here to honour those who fought and vanquished the evil that tried to take over the Earth two years ago! Please enjoy yourselves and the fantastic feast I have prepared for you!"

"Over there! There he is!"

Hairiyu could barely see over the heads of the others as a small group of paparazzi and reporters suddenly invaded the compound, rushing up to Mr Satan with microphones and cameras on the roll. She was certain she'd been told there would be no news reporters or paparazzi here today and quickly hid herself behind a menu!

"Who are you?" Mr Satan demanded.

"Mr Satan, your thoughts on the opening of your hotel!" One reporter asked as several microphones were stuck towards the saviour's mouth.

"H-Hey, explain yourself steward! I thought I said no paparazzi!" Mr Satan cried, attempting to back off from the reporters but finding himself surrounded, Videl looking on in disbelief.

Hairiyu peered over the plastic covering and averted her face away from the scene as best she could, noticing her mother doing the same thing. Both knew they'd be hounded if any one of the reporters recognised them!

"I wish he'd start soon, I'm getting weak with hunger!" Goku waited, knife and fork ready and waiting in his hands.

"Mr Satan, what's the name of the hotel?" One reporter dressed in a black striped suit asked.

"When will it open to the public?" Another reporter dressed casually butted in.

"May I sample a room for free and rate the hotel?"

Videl hid her face in embarrassment as the reporters continued to hound her father. "How embarrassing..." She groaned.


	108. Chapter 107

**Chapter 107 – In Need of a Brother's Help**

The meal finally started once Mr Satan and the steward had managed to get the insistent reporters to leave. Hairiyu happily dove into the starters that had been brought out; soups, breads and small finger foods were laid out as the large amount of waiters began to set up for the main course. She had little doubt in her mind that these poor souls would have their work cut out for them today!

"He must have hired a lot of high-quality chefs to do all this," Soba mused through his mouthfuls scooping up another spoonful of his soup. "This is delicious! Way better than the stuff my dad cooks!"

"Your dad cooks? As in at home or at a restaurant?" Hairiyu asked intrigued. She didn't really know much about Soba's family, not that she'd ever had much of an interest to ask.

"My dad owns a noodle bar in Shore City called Zuzu-Zuru; there are a couple of smaller outlets in the city but he still works at his original restaurant set in the main high street." Soba explained. "He's been running the business ever since my mother died."

Hairiyu almost choked on the bread she'd been chewing at his last remark! "Oh! I'm sorry to hear that..." She frowned. "... May I ask what she died of?"

"Giving birth to me," Soba replied a little too blasé for Hairiyu's liking. "There were complications. I nearly died too."

"... How can you be so casual about it?" Hairiyu asked baffled.

"Well I never really met the woman before she died so how would I know what she's like?" Soba replied. "Sure it's sad I never had a mother but that's life. Sometimes bad things happen."

"I guess..." Hairiyu pouted not entirely sure if she agreed or not. She didn't really understand how he could be so calm and indifferent to losing a parent, although since she died when he was born he didn't really get the time to build a bond with her so perhaps it made sense... No, she couldn't accept that. It was just too strange to her!

"Geez these guys would run my dad out of business," Soba grinned taking another spoonful of soup. "This stuff is really fantastic!"

"Isn't it?" Hairiyu agreed deciding it was probably best to drop the previous subject though she was sure at some point in the future she'd call him up on his reactions. "I bet you're glad you came along!"

"Are you kidding?" Soba snorted. "I got to meet Mr Satan in the flesh, I got to meet Videl Satan face-to-face and now there's a chance I was on TV! This is the best day of my life! Somen's gonna be seething when he hears how much his plan backfired!"

"... I'm sure he will..." Hairiyu smiled awkwardly.

Soba hesitated before speaking. "... I know I do this every time at work but when will you tell me that you can fly?" he asked.

Hairiyu's mood changed rapidly from attempting to be cheerful to furious in the blink of an eye: she impatiently slammed down her spoon onto the table, "As I keep telling you, I have no idea what you're talking about!" She barked angrily, making a couple of heads turn on the nearby tables.

"I saw you!" Soba's temper was also quickly boiling over; she'd shouted at him and his first reaction was always to shout back. "You took off in the middle of the playground! I saw you fly off!"

"I've already told you Soba, I was a six-year-old girl; how could I possibly have taken off? I'm only human!" Hairiyu snapped. _'Damn that man! His memory is far too accurate for his own good!'_ It hadn't left her mind. Ever since she'd been reintroduced to him, Hairiyu'd realised exactly who this young man was. The same Soba as the one in her class when she briefly attended elementary school just before Freeza's return: the same Soba as the one she'd met on the beach thankfully while she was disguised as a Super Saiyan. She hadn't forgotten and had wanted to get away from him ever since he'd been hired as her assistant! It was the reason she despised her mother for inviting him, then again she was angry at herself for not telling her mother about the times she'd met Soba in the past! She should have told her!

"I don't know!" Soba shrugged his shoulders, fury written across his brow, "all I know is that I saw you fly into the air! I know what I saw!"

Hairiyu stood up, chair pushed back with a reasonable amount of force, hands down on the table before her. "I'm not going to have this argument with you again. If you keep on insisting all this crap then I will consider just how valuable an assistant is to me!"

Soba glared fuming and stood, chair crashing to the floor. For a moment he looked at her, his fiery temper struggling to be kept under wraps as he took a deep breath in.

"Are you trying to shut me up by bribing me with my job?" He snarled. "I'm not the one who's too lazy to do her own damn work and learn how to properly deal with the stresses of running such a large company! I'm not the one who seems incredibly defensive over an incident I insist did not happen! You think you will consider just how valuable an assistant is to you? Let me make it easy for you - I quit!"

"You quit?" Hairiyu spat, "Good, I hope you show as much persistence to that threat as you do to your damn story!" With that she stormed off, marching herself out onto the wooden walkway leading over the small lake surrounding the little island they'd been seated at. She stopped once she was satisfied she was far enough from the others and drew in a small breath, staring down at the water below.

Bulma had gotten up and made her way over to Soba who did not seem pleased and was now alone at the table.

"With all due respect madam president, I am not sorry for what I've just said," Soba grumbled feeling a little awkward for having raised his voice.

"I realise," Bulma replied calmly. "... I wanna apologise for my daughter's outburst. You're right; she isn't taking her work seriously and is happy enough to leave some of her work to others... I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"You're one brave man Soba," Krillin added impressed from his seat. "Not a lot of people can say they've stood up to Hairiyu like that and not at least been hit!"

"That's because Soba's special," Bulma smiled at the short warrior. "She won't hit him, no matter how angry she'll get at him."

Soba was quick to catch on. "... You guys really need to stop hinting things that aren't true."

"Well maybe you need to take your own advice," Bulma replied coolly, "Just think about what you really want to do, ok? Don't act so rash." She wandered back over to her table leaving Soba to contemplate.

Outside, Videl had gone to comfort her fuming friend. Hairiyu'd told her the story and the reason for their outbursts.

"He saw you fly?" Videl gasped quietly so as not to be overheard.

"Yeah, when I was in Elementary School. Something came up and I had to leave quickly! I didn't know someone had seen me!" Hairiyu reluctantly confirmed. "It's so annoying, he just won't give up! He's as stubborn as you were!"

"That's gonna be a problem to keep from him for long then," Videl let the comment slide, knowing how true it had been. "Why don't you just come clean? If he finds out you'll have to eat your own words."

"I know that but I can't tell him," Hairiyu replied. "I can't tell anyone who may know me just in case they blabber to the paparazzi; I'm already an interest to them being the heiress of Capsule Corp! Surely you know how I feel; you're from a famous family constantly hounded by reporters!"

"Yeah but... what will you do if he finds out?" Videl asked. "You can't keep it from him forever?"

"Sure I can," Hairiyu responded, "... and why would he find out? You're not gonna tell him; no one's gonna tell him anything. He doesn't have to find out anything!"

"I dunno... As Gohan will tell you, a secret as big as those you and he hid from the others at high school is a pretty difficult thing to do."

"I did it all the way through high school with the exception of you," Hairiyu pointed out. "I'll have no problems with this one!"

"... Well, will you at least come back in and eat with us?" Videl sighed. "Honestly I think you guys ought to apologise to each other and to my dad for causing such a ruckus."

Hairiyu pouted begrudgingly, "... I'll apologise to your dad but I'm not apologising to him." She grumbled, following Videl back to the food court.

Her blood suddenly froze, body stopping in its tracks. Something had caught her attention. There were two unfamiliar ki signals closing in on the planet, two rather noticeable energy signals. Hairiyu stopped walking, staring off into the distance with a look of concentration upon her face.

"... What is it?" Videl asked unnerved.

"Gohan!" Piccolo was heard from inside the room. Hairiyu broke off into a run, Videl close behind her as they entered the hall again.

"I know," Gohan nodded.

There were two energies nearby that Hairiyu could sense; both had appeared from out of nowhere and neither were familiar to her. One had a peculiar feel to it, one she'd sensed a few times before and would constantly sense from two of their dearest fighters.

"I sense a powerful ki approaching," Eighteen murmured, holding Marron close to her as Krillin rose off his chair.

"I hope it doesn't lead to trouble," Krillin responded nervously.

"Who is it?" Master Roshi asked turning away from his food.

"An unknown energy!" Trunks slammed his hands onto the table, startling Bulma.

"What's wrong?" Bulma asked.

Hairiyu grimaced and closed her eyes. Of all the times for a potential threat to appear, why now when she'd insisted she was not who Soba claimed her to be? One of the ki was Saiyan, there was no denying that.

Goku rose off his chair, much to Chichi's confusion. Several others followed suite and followed him out to the front of the hotel grounds, Hairiyu included. She didn't catch sight of the quick glance Soba made towards her, a look of confusion on his face. Rushing out onto the lawn down the stairs, the two energies appeared in physical form, landing on Videl's aircraft.

Indeed one was Saiyan.

"That tail!" Gohan gasped.

"No way! It's a Saiyan!" Krillin cried.

"I thought dad and Goku were the only ones left!" Hairiyu muttered quietly, closely eyeing up the Saiyan and his accomplice; the other energy belonging to a short, round-headed scrawny alien with a sweet smile on their face. The Saiyan was clearly the stronger of the two, not that his power compared to theirs in any way. She didn't understand; she'd been sure that the only surviving Saiyans had been Raditz, Nappa, Goku and her father – the former two were now dead leaving just her dad and Goku! Where in the universe had this one been hiding?

"Tarble!"

Hairiyu gasped alongside the others in disbelief as her father made his way to the front of the crowd.

"Big brother!" The Saiyan responded happily, rushing over to Vegeta. "It's great to see you!"

"B-Big brother?" Several of the fighters perched on the stairwell spluttered baffled. Now that they looked more closely, there was a resemblance... only this Saiyan looked a little less aggravated and appeared more innocent.

"Didn't father send you to a remote planet because you were a weakling?" Vegeta grunted folding his arms, looking down at his brother in disdain.

"_He's my uncle?"_ Hairiyu stared in disbelief as the Saiyan continued to talk to her father. Sure enough there were a few similarities but Tarble seemed nothing like her father. He was pretty lean for a Saiyan and seemed even more vertically-challenged than her father! She could have almost mistaken him for a teenager or someone slightly younger than herself!

"A Namekian told me you'd returned to Earth after defeating Freeza," Tarble replied looking a little dejected. "A terrible duo named Avo and Cado are terrorising my planet. They used to work under Freeza as part of the Planetary Trade Organisation. I tried to fight them but I proved no match for them. Please help us, Vegeta!"

"Are they strong?" The conversation had caught Goku's interest and he approached the two brothers with a drumstick still held in his hand!

"Super strong," Tarble nodded, clicking a button on his scouter. He seemed to eye up Goku suspiciously.

"Really? This sounds pretty good!" Goku grinned.

"_Strong opponents this guy can't beat? I'm not so sure that makes them strong..."_ Hairiyu seemed unconvinced but interested nonetheless. This Saiyan had come out of nowhere and now she was meant to believe he was her uncle? The differences between the siblings were as clear as day to her; Tarble already seemed far mellower and far more willing to ask for help, something she'd never seen in a Saiyan before! There had to be a reason her father had never told him or the others about this Tarble man. Then there was the shorter alien standing beside him. Hairiyu wondered what the little, quiet alien was capable of. Its ki was miniscule but there had to be a reason it was tagging along to this Saiyan...

"Forgive me but I don't think you have the combat strength," Tarble mumbled to Goku as his scouter flickered.

"Don't believe what the scouter tells you," Vegeta barked startling his younger brother. "Battle strength can be changed on a whim; you still have much to learn!"

"I'll show you." Goku made a move to prove Vegeta's point further. His ki started to surge dramatically as he made his transformation into a Super Saiyan; Table's scouter shattering during the power-up unable to keep up with the tremendous surge in power. Goku quickly ended the transformation with a smile, pleased the naive Saiyan had learnt from this mistake.

"That should be plenty of power to beat them! Please help me!" Tarble beamed approaching the taller Saiyan. "They've followed me here!"

"You're as pathetic as always!" Vegeta spat. "I guess it can't be helped; I'll handle these guys. It'll be a good after-dinner workout."

"No way, I wanna fight them," Goku interrupted. "Leave this to me!"

"Kakarrot, this is between me and Tarble; it's none of your concern!" Vegeta snapped.

"Aww don't be like that!"

"Dad, I wanna fight too!" Trunks called.

"Yeah, me too!" Goten added.

"I think I might join in too!" Krillin wearily raised his hand.

"Me too," Gohan agreed.

"Well if Gohan's insisting then I'd better," Hairiyu smiled.

"I'd like to fight too," Master Roshi raised his hand.

Goku frowned as the small number of hands raised increased, "... There's too many of us... We can't all fight them; it wouldn't be fair!" He contemplated their options quickly coming up with a solution. "Hey, we'll sort this out by drawing lots! Everyone grab onto me."

In the end, Goku teleported everyone back to his home. Hairiyu was taken back to see the large quantities of radishes growing in front of their home! Since when had Gohan's family been farmers? She'd never seen any produce growing around their house in the number of years she'd come over to visit.

"Chichi and I grew these radishes; whoever pulls out the longest radish will get to fight these two guys!" Goku explained. "Everyone gets one chance and that's all!"

One by one, the group all pulled a radish free from the ground. When it came to Hairiyu's turn, she was sorely disappointed as hers ended up being small, although not as small as the ones her father and Krillin had picked out!

"Too bad," Gohan smiled. "Looks like you're out."

"I can't tell with farm crops which ones are any good; I live in the city!" Hairiyu shrugged her shoulders. It wasn't a total loss; at least this way there was absolutely no chance of Soba ever catching into her secret, no matter how much he seemed to be trying to prove one of her many secrets was right!

An excited squeal came from Goten who proudly held a gigantic radish over his head. "It's huge!" Indeed the radish he held looked as if it would burst!

"Nice one Goten," Goku smiled proud of his son.

Vegeta snorted and turned to his son, "Trunks, you'd better find one bigger than Goten's!" he barked.

Trunks stopped before one radish and pulled it from the ground; it was the skinniest radish Hairiyu'd ever seen! As Trunks continued to pull, the radish kept on going, vanishing down the side of the nearby cliff and almost reaching the stream below! It was incredibly thin like a whip – and even longer than Goten's by far!

"I said the longest so Trunks wins," Goku declared.

"Trunks, go and avenge your uncle," Vegeta smirked pleased his son had beaten his rival's boys, unlike his daughter!

"Good luck!" The tiny alien rushed up to Trunks grabbing hold of his hands; the shrill voice suggesting to Hairiyu this alien was female though of course first impressions and assumptions could always be incorrect.

"By the way Tarble, who is this?" Vegeta glared at the alien as if he'd only just noticed its presence.

"Oh, forgive me for not introducing you sooner!" Tarble apologised. "This is my wife."

"Your WIFE?" Vegeta spluttered baffled.

"My name is Gure; it's a pleasure to meet you," the tiny alien bowed down politely before her brother-in-law.

'_She's my AUNTIE?'_ Hairiyu stared in disbelief, further more amused when her father showed some manners and returned her greeting!

Far away from Goku's home, Soba had ventured out from the dining area in order to find the others, curious as to what was going on. His search led him to the front of the hotel where he was sure everyone had gone to. He was shocked to find no one out here! "... What the hell?" He mumbled baffled. Had everyone left or where they somewhere else?

Soba was about to turn around when a high-pitched noise caught his ear, it was quiet, probably some distance away from him. Unsure of where it was coming from he frantically looked around, spotting something gleaming in the skies above. There were two small but shining dots. Soba couldn't work out what they could be...

In a flash there were two loud explosions accompanied by shockwaves which rocked him off his feet. Soba fell to the stairs, halting his fall with both hands. He gazed with a mixture of horror, awe, and disbelief at what he saw. Two small craters lay before him. Inside each crater was a strange round sphere.

"S-Spaceships?"

Soba spun around to see the steward cowering at the top of the stairs. Without a word the panicked man rushed calling for Mr Satan. Soba quickly rose to his feet, heart pounding in his chest as the two spheres began to open. His eyes widened; legs shaking and stuck to the spot as two strange aliens appeared before him. What was he going to do? This had to be a dream. There was no way aliens could exist! It was impossible!

The two were looking straight at him; Soba finding himself terrified but unable to move! Were they going to kill him? Would they abduct him?

Everyone was suddenly there.

Soba had to blink a couple of times, baffled and confused. Hairiyu and her family, alongside the others who'd rushed out the room, were suddenly standing in front of him! When had they suddenly appeared and how? He was sure he'd blinked then suddenly they were there! What kind of magic was this?

Hairiyu glanced behind her back, slightly surprised to see Soba standing at the top of the stairs. This was bad; she had to get him out of here before he saw anything! If this was going to turn out how she imagined then Soba was in danger just being here. Not only that, her reputation was at stake!

The aliens before them didn't seem too powerful to her; both were of pudgy build and wore the clothes worn by both the Saiyans and by Freeza's soldiers. The only noticeable difference between them was their skin colours; one being blue, the other red. Other than that Hairiyu would have assumed they were of the same species.

"You've given us a lot of trouble, Tarble," the red alien muttered.

"Show yourself!" The blue spat.

"Those two are the ones who were chasing us here," Tarble spoke nervously, Gure hiding behind his leg fearfully. "Their names are Avo and Cado; they used to be part of Freeza's forces."

"Trunks, they're not that strong; you should be more than enough to fight them both!" Vegeta muttered disappointed with the ki levels he was sensing from the two short, stubby fighters.

"Hey Vegeta, why not let Goten fight with him?" Goku asked as Trunks approached the two warriors; on closer inspection they now appeared to be a fair bit taller than both Trunks and Goten! "That way it'll be two-on-two! Come on, what do you think?"

"Trunks will be fine on his own!" Vegeta responded.

Goku grunted and defiantly wandered over to Goten, "Hey Goten, Vegeta says you can fight alongside Trunks." He whispered.

"Yeah! Thanks Vegeta!" Goten beamed happily, running over to his friend to join him in battle.

Hairiyu used this opportunity to make her way up to Soba, noticing just how much the blood had drained from his face. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked concerned that the atmosphere was too much for him to bear. Soba looked pale and shaken, staring straight through Hairiyu at the two aliens, who were now being approached by Goten and Trunks. "Soba?" She tried again.

The human blinked, seeming to come back to reality.

"Come on, let's get back to the food," Hairiyu suggested.

"... Your brother's going towards them!" Soba protested baffled, "You're alright with that? What kind of sister are you?"

"He'll be fine, now come on!" Hairiyu insisted.

The shockwave from behind caught both their attention, Hairiyu cursing under her breath as she noticed Goten and Trunks had made the first move. Their two opponents had both vanished behind a large cloud of smoke.

Soba's eyes had widened as far as they could go.

From the feel of it, these were opponents the boys could easily take down.


	109. Chapter 108

**Chapter 108 – The Truth Unravelled**

As much as her brain told her to drag Soba away from the fight before too many of her secrets came out, Hairiyu found herself wanting to stay and watch her younger brother fight. Both Goten and Trunks were holding their own; neither Avo nor Cado could land a hit on either of the boys. It seemed Goku's prediction was right; with their strength roughly equal to Freeza's, Avo and Cado would prove to be a test for the boys and they were passing with flying colours!

Soba couldn't believe what he was witnessing. The fast movement from all four was unbelievable; he couldn't keep up with them, he wasn't even sure if they were there anymore! Every-so-often what sounded like canon fire struck his ears, unsure of what was going on or what was making the noise!

Goten and Avo appeared for the briefest of moments twenty-feet up in the air before vanishing. Nearby, Trunks and Cado emerged striking blows against each other before vanishing.

"Their strength is amazing..." Tarble was heard muttering.

Soba was suddenly tugged off his feet as Hairiyu grabbed onto his arm, dragging him against his will into the large hotel lobby behind them.

"H-Hey! Where are we going?" Soba demanded, suddenly bringing himself out from his daze, angry and confused. He had a right to be; his boss had a lot of explaining to do!

"We're getting out of harm's way," Hairiyu answered.

She was surprised when Soba succeeded in snatching his arm away from her! "I'm not moving another inch until you tell me what's going on!" The human snapped, brows converging slightly as he glared at her. "Is this some kind of sick joke? What the hell was going on out there? Who are those weird fat guys? What are your little brother and that little twin doing?"

"Little twin...? Oh, Goten," Hairiyu mumbled more to herself than Soba, trying to stay calm and collected. "Look, none of this matters right now. We need to get you somewhere safe."

"They're aliens, aren't they? Aliens exist, don't they?" Soba wasn't calming down at all, knuckles whitening by his sides as he clenched tighter. "I saw them come out of these weird pods that fell from the sky! You know something about them; I know you do!"

"Soba this isn't the-"

"When will it ever be the time with you?" Soba yelled, voice louder than before. "When will you ever tell me the truth? You call me crazy and annoying for accusing you of flying and yet here I find your little brother and that Goten kid flying, fighting with those weird things! You made a massive show earlier about it, practically bribing me with my job to stop asking you! Was this all some kind of game to you?"

"Soba." Hairiyu's voice was low and venomous.

"What kind of crap were you pulling?"

"SOBA!" Hairiyu bellowed loudly, anger starting to boil over. "... Just shut up and follow m-"

There was a change which stopped her in mid-sentence, face falling as it dawned on her how much trouble her little brother was now in.

Avo and Cado's ki had skyrocketed.

Anxious for Trunks and Goten, Hairiyu dashed forwards, ignoring Soba's baffled calls as she burst through the doors.

Goten and Trunks were high in the air. She could see their opponent despite everyone else blocking parts of him. Avo and Cado were nowhere to be seen; instead a tall, bulky, spiky purple alien stood towering before them, at least ten feet tall.

"It's... Aka!" Tarble gasped horrified.

"Aka?" Krillin repeated.

"I thought it was just rumours but Avo and Cado can merge into a monster, known as Aka," Tarble explained taking a worried step back, Gure clinging to him and hiding behind his leg.

"It's still no match for us," Vegeta snorted unfazed.

"The boys might find this a little more difficult..." Goku muttered not sharing the same kind of optimism as his rival.

In a flash the monster had charged up to the boys, knocking the unsuspecting duo back with a swing of his arms. He grabbed hold of them both and pile-drove them into the ground; the floor shuddering violently as smoke clouded the startled onlookers, blocking their view.

"Trunks!" Bulma was heard screaming.

"Goten!" Chichi cried. "Goku, you've got to stop this! The boys need help!"

"Don't worry; they're not down yet," Goku ushered the two women.

Hairiyu glanced over her shoulder briefly; Soba had emerged out of the hotel again but she had more important things to worry about. Her attention turned back to her brother and Goten. Both had lost ki but were still capable of fighting. This new fighter they faced was far stronger than Avo and Cado had been and she began to feel perhaps the two boys would need to re-think their strategy. If worst came to worst, at least there were fighters who could still defeat this monster but the fight still belonged to the boys.

The purple brute made his way over to the ledge where Goten and Trunks had landed, apparently waiting.

Both boys rose to their feet and positioned themselves accordingly.

"They're going to do it," Vegeta muttered.

"Fuu... Sion... Haa!" A bright light shimmered from where the boys stood, blinding the observers and causing a small panic as a powerful gust picked up. Soba was almost knocked off his feet; had it not been for the wall of the hotel he would have been pushed several metres back. Several of the other spectators were shielded from the wind by the stronger of the group as Gotenks made his appearance.

"Bum-ba-ba-buuuum! It's Gotenks!" The fused warrior proudly announced. "We've been waiting for you, Avocado!"

"Wow... Even after two years he's still the same as ever!" Krillin scoffed unsure whether to be pleased to see Gotenks or dreading it!

"Let's hope he's not as overly confident as back then..." Piccolo muttered.

"... What... who's he?" Soba asked baffled.

"Gotenks," Videl answered with a smile. "He's the fusion of-"

"Videl!" Hairiyu snapped.

"Oh give it a rest Hairiyu; if Soba hasn't figured it out by now then he's the densest person I know!" Videl giggled rolling her eyes. "A toddler could have worked it out by now after seeing all of this!"

"You finally told him, huh?" Gohan asked relieved. The look on his friend's face said otherwise.

"... Thanks for the help," Hairiyu grumbled sarcastically, fuming with annoyance.

Gotenks began to power up his ki before dealing the Avo-Cado fusion a powerful assault, launching his Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack and his Dynamite Rolling Thunder Punch, as well as taking a few moves from the other fighters, such as Yamcha's Wolf Fang Fist and Tenshinhan's Volleyball Fist just for good measure. The fused purple fighter was sent skimming across the ground, landing with a large splash in the lake surrounding the buffet hall.

"... Well that's over with..." Master Roshi mumbled, "Shall we return to the party?"

He and several others started to make their way back up the steps.

"Goku, let's finish eating and go home," Chichi smiled.

"You guys go on ahead," Goku replied.

Hairiyu watched her father, Goku, and Piccolo; none had moved and for good reason. It wasn't over yet. The Avo-Cado's ki signal was still there, bubbling under the surface of the lake.

"... Aren't we going?" Soba asked.

"... Yeah, I'll follow in a minute," Hairiyu nodded.

"I'm not taking that for an answer," Soba growled. "You're just gonna fly off and not tell me anything!"

"Soba, go!" Hairiyu ordered.

A large column of water suddenly burst up as the fused fighter emerged, screaming loudly with rage. His heavy feet thundered onto the ground with a heavy thud and a slight tremor as he opposed Gotenks yet again.

'_Dammit, I wasn't fast enough!'_ Hairiyu grumbled in her mind. She'd been hoping to get Soba out of harm's way but once again he'd chosen to remain persistent at the wrong time!

"You're pretty strong, ain't ya kid?" The monster growled.

"You're pretty weak, ain't ya geezer!" Gotenks sniggered.

"Soba get back," Hairiyu warned.

"Mock me will ya?" Aka snarled. "Super destructive wave!" his ki began to surge higher and higher, the ground starting to violently shudder under their feet. The foundations of the hotel were put to the test as the building swayed ever so slightly under the pressure.

"I-It's an earthquake!" Soba cried panicked.

"Soba, get inside!" Hairiyu yelled.

"Wahaha-no-HA!"

A large green bullet of ki shot out of Aka's mouth, bursting into dozens of smaller discs, all of which were heading towards them and the hotel!

Amidst all the confusion and explosions of energy discs striking at random, Hairiyu managed to keep her cool. She deflected and countered any stray ki balls heading for her. Several rumbles shook the ground as the hotel was stricken, the building slowly falling in fragments unable to withstand the onslaught. Large pieces of plaster and brick tumbled down from above.

Hairiyu changed her strategy, staying close to Soba – who was too stunned to move let alone run!

All around the hotel, the fighters were scurrying to protect the others. Yamcha was somewhere near her mother, Gohan was close to Videl, Krillin near to his family, Tenshinhan and Chaozu both near Master Roshi and Chichi, whilst Gotenks was close to Tarble and Gure. Confusion filled the area; the hotel crumbling further with every attack Aka launched and still there seemed to be no let up as another, more powerful ki blast was fired off.

It was quickly over.

A surge in Goku's ki and two strikes ended it. Aka was sent flying; his attack launched away from the Earth as a Kamehameha sent it towards space. The punch that Goku'd dealt after the Kamehameha had been enough to stop the monster in his tracks as once again he vanished beneath the surface of the lake with a large splash.

Hairiyu breathed a small sigh of relief and wiped her brow, checking Soba to make sure he was alright, which he was. The dread started to hit her. Now she would have to do as Videl said and eat her own words. Soba would demand an explanation.

Mr Satan fell to his knees in dismay. "... My hotel..." The large magnificent building now lay in ruins, smoke rising from a couple of warm spots.

"Dad, you should see this as a lesson of humility from God," Videl scolded the saddened man, a soft smile slowly appearing on her face. "... Let's rebuild this from scratch."

With a nod the man rose to his feet.

"Don't be so down, you can still rebuild it," Krillin smiled. "If you wanted you could just ask Shenron!"

"Wow, I didn't think of that! Of course!" Mr Satan beamed.

"Dad!" Videl snapped. "What did I just say? Humility!"

"I-I was joking..." Mr Satan chuckled. "W-Well everyone, the hotel's gone but we still have that magnificent feast to eat!"

The group resumed their meals; Gure baffled by how much her brother-in-law and Goku were capable of eating! Compared to them her husband's manners at the table were far better; these two men ate like wild animals! Whilst Chichi and Bulma compared their family food bills, a scuffle between Goku and Vegeta escalated. Goku had eaten some of Vegeta's sushi; a retaliating Vegeta ate Goku's char sui, the two continued to shout at one another, eating the other's food, even going so far as to transform into Super Saiyans, much to Hairiyu's lack of appreciation!

She sat mostly ignoring the bickering adults, lost in her own thoughts as she slowly ate her own food. What was she going to do? Her secrets were wide open now to Soba; he'd seen too much within the past couple of hours. Super strength and speed, the ability to fly, the use of ki attacks, aliens... and the lies she'd told him.

If he did return to work then she knew she'd have a lot of explaining to do. If he stayed persistent and followed through with his earlier resignation then what would either of them do? Would he still be bitter and tell the newspapers and paparazzi all he'd seen? Would she have to take matters into her own hands and summon Shenron to wipe his mind of his memories of her? What about his brother Somen; he still worked for Capsule Corp after all. Would her mother have to fire him too?

"Your food'll get cold if you don't eat."

Hairiyu blinked; Soba had his eyes on her for the briefest of moments before returning to tucking into his food.

For someone who'd been screaming at her earlier and had seen a potentially dangerous fight involving things he could not comprehend, Soba was awfully calm. It unnerved Hairiyu.

Age 776, June 20th

Hairiyu had been sitting at her desk for a couple of hours getting on with her paperwork in silence. She was alone. Soba had not come into work for the past couple of days and Hairiyu was growing on edge. Had he been scared off by all he'd seen the other day when her uncle had appeared? Was he alright? Did anyone else know of what had happened? Did his family know? She had to find out.

Turning away from her paperwork, Hairiyu turned her attention to her computer and began to search for something...

The city below her was situated on the coast. Shore City wasn't anywhere near the size of neighbouring West City but it was nothing to be sneezed at. Miles of sandy beaches, fantastic tourism opportunities and a baseball team climbing higher and higher into the league tables.

She'd been near here before, on the coastal path to the south of the city. On that fateful day during those nine days of training for the Cell Games, Hairiyu had run into Soba for the second time. She had been in her Super Saiyan state so he hadn't recognised her; the only time she'd realised who he was had been when he'd introduced himself.

Pulling herself away from her fond memories, the half-Saiyan half-Earthling woman looked at her watch; instead of showing her the time, she had a map showing her where to go. Following its instructions she descended into the depths of the nearby city below her, cautious as to make sure no one saw her landing. Feet touched down on the pavements of the quiet street, a light breeze picking up every-so-often as Hairiyu walked, observing the numbers of the houses.

The house in question was on the end of this street, backing out onto a park. She soon found it and wandered through the gate, stepping up to the door and ringing the doorbell. Patiently she waited.

The door opened; an old man on the other end of it.

Hairiyu's face dropped and she began to panic. Had she gotten the wrong house?

"What do you want? Whatever you're selling I'm not interested!" The old man snapped.

"Um... Is this the Shirataki residence?" Hairiyu asked awkwardly.

"What if it is?" The old man growled warily of the young girl eyeing her up with suspicion.

Hairiyu breathed a sigh of relief; at least she'd found the right place!

"We don't take kindly to folks like you!" The man hissed. "Get outta here! Go on, get!"

"Dad, who are you yelling at now?" A woman – far younger than the man – appeared at the door. Mid-length brown hair, dark eyes and a similar confused look to Soba; this had to be his sister, Ramen.

The look of confusion vanished almost immediately as the woman laid eyes on Hairiyu, jaw falling as her eyes widened almost popping out of their sockets! With a loud shriek she shoved the older man out of her way and dragged Hairiyu inside the house! "She's here! She's finally here in our house!" Ramen shrieked excitedly. "Miss Brief, the heir to the Capsule Corp is actually here in our house!"

"What the hell are you going on about Ramen? Who is this girl?" The old man followed his daughter into the living room perplexed. Hairiyu was made to sit on one of the chairs despite her protests and not wanting to intrude. They seemed to fall on deaf ears.

"Dad you moron, this is Hairiyu Brief! She's the daughter of Bulma Brief, the president of Capsule Corp!" Ramen explained, attention turning back to Hairiyu. "Please ignore my dad, he's behind the times! He has no clue about famous people! Would you like something to eat? How about some tea or coffee?"

"I'm fine thank you," Hairiyu was amazed and slightly taken back at the half-minute she'd just spent in this house. Ramen was just how Soba had said; kind, courteous and crazy about famous people!

"Well if you need anything don't hesitate to ask," Ramen smiled. "I'm sorry I dragged you inside the house; I didn't want any of the neighbours to know such a celebrity like you would be here! So what do we owe the honour?"

'_Celebrity? Me? I doubt that very much...'_ Hairiyu snorted in her mind. "I was here to see if Soba was around," she explained, a little conscious that the old man was still watching her closely. "He hasn't come to work in the last couple of days."

"I thought he'd quit?" Ramen asked baffled. "Did he lie to us?"

"Oh, n-no, he didn't lie to you... I wasn't sure if he had been joking or not..." Inside Hairiyu frowned. So he really had quit, just as he said he would...

"Didn't that boy say something about going to Capsule Corp today?" The old man asked.

"I dunno, did he?" Ramen shrugged her shoulders.

Hairiyu sighed. Clearly no one knew where Soba was. Admittedly Hairiyu had been identifying Soba's ki whilst he'd been working at Capsule Corp; she should have just found his ki and tracked him down rather than scanning the employment information and finding his address! It would have made things so much easier but even that felt as if she'd be confirming the lies she'd told him.

The front door opened and slammed shut quickly, grabbing everyone's attention.

"...Soba?" Ramen called to check.

"That was such a waste of time! I go to Capsule Corp to talk to my boss and she's not even in her damn office!" Soba's voice could be heard coming from the hallway, making his way past the front room and into the kitchen. "She must have known I was coming and just took off again!"

Amidst Ramen and her dad's embarrassment, Hairiyu was the one who replied:

"I go to my assistant's house to talk to him and he's not even in! The idiot who doesn't even check if he has guests around in his own house before mouthing off must have known I was coming and ran off!"

Soba's head popped around the door, surprised to see Hairiyu sitting down alongside his sister and father. A light blush came over his face for an instant before being replaced with a scowl. "Why are you here?" He asked.

"You haven't been at work for the last couple of days; I came to see if you were alright," Hairiyu replied.

"... How do you know where I live?" Soba asked wearily, making his way around the door so he stood in the same room.

"I'm your boss, I'm entitled to know where my employees live."

"No you're not," Soba replied. "That's called stalking."

"That's coming from the guy who got his brother and sister to help him track me down?" Hairiyu jeered, a small smirk on her face. Ramen hid her smirk as best she could.

"Hold on a minute," The older man rose to his feet. "You mean to tell me my youngest boy was working under the heir of Capsule Corp? Geez, why on Earth did you quit, Soba? You were doing better than that narcissist brother of yours! That boy's still a grunt in that corporation!"

"Dad, not now," Soba spoke sternly.

"I think you know why I'm here, Soba," Hairiyu looked up at the standing man. "Could we go somewhere where none of your family has to hear this?"

"H-Hey, what's Miss Brief talking about?" Ramen asked.

"... Don't worry Ramen, it's alright," Soba explained. "We're not staying in the house; both of them will eavesdrop! I know a place."


	110. Chapter 109

**Chapter 109 – Welcome to my World**

Soba led Hairiyu out of the house and down the street so his father and sister couldn't watch them talk or eavesdrop on them. He knew that this looming conversation between himself and his former boss would be one of significant importance, though he would never have guessed just how important and bizarre it would be. In his hand was a small case which was soon opened up to reveal a small collection of capsules. Just by glancing at the numbers on the capsules, Hairiyu could tell what was in each and which model it was; she'd been forced to spend many hours memorising the numbers and categories of all the capsules her mother and grandfather made just for quick reference, such as which band of numbers referred to aircraft, which referred to land vehicles, which were homes etc. She watched Soba withdraw one capsule and throw it to the road before them; the cloud of smoke revealed Hairiyu's suspicions were indeed right. A hover bike – this one was a single seated bike. That would lead to an interesting development and she knew what Soba was getting at.

Soba was testing her.

Without a word he hopped onto his transportation and started up the engine, taking his helmet from one of the storage bays, keeping a close eye on her. He wasn't about to announce to her how much he hated riding this machine, instead keeping a cool, collected expression on his face. He was far too eager to see her confirm his hunch, the hunch she'd always denied. She couldn't deny it any longer now he'd seen her family capable of flight – and far more!

"... You wanna see me fly, don't you?" Hairiyu asked sternly.

"This hover bike is only meant for one," Soba replied as he placed his helmet onto his head and secured it tight. "Besides, I don't let liars ride with me."

She was in no position to deny the accusation, even if she hated being called a liar. Hairiyu bit her tongue and swallowed hard before responding. "... Fine, if you wanna see it so badly," she nodded, reaching into her pocket and revealing her own capsule case. "Don't think I'm doing this because I have no other choice; as you can see I have a variety of craft in these capsules. I'm doing this because I trust you'll keep your mouth shut." She placed the capsule case back into her pocket, glancing around at the nearby houses to make sure no one could see them as well as looking down the streets to make sure the coast was clear. Not a soul but them in sight.

Her feet left the ground, much to Soba's astonishment. He'd always had his suspicions and justifications that she could fly but seeing it still left him speechless. His hand revved up the throttle of his hover bike as the machine slowly rose into the air, levelling with Hairiyu who was ten feet up in the air. He dared not go any higher; he hated being this high as it was but flying was the quickest way for them to reach their destination.

"I thought you hated heights?" Hairiyu folded her arms.

"I do..." Soba gulped not daring to move his eyes from her; any sign of how high they were (despite it being a little distance off the ground) was petrifying and knowing his feet were not on solid ground was causing his mind to scream at him. He couldn't give into it, he had to make his point. "F-Follow me!" He stuttered.

Hairiyu followed sceptical of Soba's willingness to lead. Throughout the entire duration he seemed to cling to the hoverbike as if his life depended on it despite them not going any higher than fifteen feet above the ground, weaving and winding along the roads which thankfully were quiet. A couple of cars passed by and almost diverted from the road as baffled drivers wanted a second glance to confirm the flying girl they'd been so certain they'd seen! The mercifully short journey took them across the city and over to the cliffs and beach to the south of the city: the place they'd unknowingly met during the run-up to the Cell Games.

Soba breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the bike safely landed on the lush green grass below them, heart pounding and sweat falling from his face. Finally he was back on solid ground: his body and mind could relax! He took off his helmet as Hairiyu landed nearby, indifferent to the height they'd been at! Soba put his hover bike back into its capsule state and placed it back into the case.

Hairiyu observed the scenery, taking note of the vast field behind them and the beach and rocky outcrops before them looking out to sea. She remembered this place well and her heart started to thump in her ribcage. Had he brought her here deliberately because of the memory or was it just coincidence?

"... I used to come to this place with my sister during the late spring and early summer. We used to come here with her friends." Soba explained, not that she'd asked for an explanation or anything.

"Uh huh," Hairiyu was cautious not to say too much. She'd caught him here during the run-up to the Cell Games; he'd been rocktombing with his sister's friends and one of them had actually been rushed to hospital. Neither of them had recognised the other until Soba'd introduced himself; Hairiyu'd thankfully been in her Super Saiyan state so managed to flee without Soba recognising her, or so she prayed.

"So, what is there to talk about?" Soba asked cutting her from her worries. "You can't deny you can fly anymore; I've seen it with my own eyes."

"I know. There's a lot you've seen in the past couple of days," Hairiyu nodded; she wasn't about to let him in on the truth just yet, too much was riding on this and he had to look out for herself. "... Before I say anything, I have to know that what you're about to hear stays between the two of us. No one must find out what happened that day and if I catch wind that someone else knows, I can assure you that you won't be able to blab it to anyone else... and that's not a death threat."

"It's not? Hard to believe that when you say it in that stern tone of voice," Soba grumbled, a stone-cold look on his face. He didn't like the tone she was using with him or her choice of words but kept his temper under check as best he could. If he reacted then he knew he'd never get the information from her. So many questions still buzzed around his head from the other day, seeing those two aliens fighting her little brother and his friend, then suddenly a different child appearing, lots of bizarre orbs of light being thrown around and the talk of these things called Saiyans... What on Earth was that little alien beside that short human-looking guy? "What exactly are you saying then if you're planning to shut me up?" He asked genuinely intrigued.

"I'll have your memory erased of every connection and association you have with me," Hairiyu explained. "Don't ask how... I have my ways." She wasn't about to tell him about the Dragonballs. If he proved he was a man of his word then that would be a story for another day.

Soba contemplated her words, unsure of how she could erase his memories. Hypnotism? He wasn't a firm believer in the power of hypnotism and doubted she'd try something like that: she was far craftier than that. He didn't like how she seemed to be in complete control of the conversation but perhaps it was best just to take her word for it. "... Alright, you have my word," Soba nodded. "Before you speak though you should know my brother and sister know you can fly but neither will speak. My brother's too afraid he'll lose his job and my sister thinks it's awesome to know something about you that only a few people do. She wants to keep it that way."

"Is that it?"Hairiyu asked eyes widening a little. "Your sister I mean. Is that seriously the only reason she won't speak?"

Soba pouted knowing about the other reason. His face reddened slightly as he reluctantly spat the words out "... She also thinks we're in a relationship and doesn't want to jeopardise it by blabbing one of your secrets."

Hairiyu let the reason slip, much to her chagrin. What was it with people assuming such things? Could a guy and a girl not just be friends?

"What do I get out of this?" Soba asked perking up a little. "If I'm keeping my mouth shut then what's in it for me?" The control seemed to be heading back towards him now, just the way he liked it.

"The truth," Hairiyu answered nonchalantly. "Like I said; if you don't keep your end of the deal, I'll wipe yours, your sister's, your brother's, and your father's memories of me. You get to keep your memories and find out the truth if you keep your mouth shut."

"Fine... but I am curious as to how you plan to do that..." Soba sat himself down on the grass looking out to the glistening turquoise sea, sun shimmering on the waves.

Hairiyu nodded and sat down beside him. "I'll tell you what happened at that party and why..."

It was too much. Soba couldn't register all the new information, all the things she was trying to get him to believe. Aliens. Super human powers. Fierce, violent wars. Strange techniques which allowed people to join together. Things a normal human being would never hope or dream to be capable of. Once she finished the story, Hairiyu sat quietly and patiently waiting for a reaction from him. She'd told Soba about her uncle Tarble's plight, about the two aliens who'd merged into one, about her brother's capabilities and her own, about the boy's fusion, about the strange bolts of lights that destroyed the hotel.

"... I don't understand..." Soba mumbled finally. "... You say these aliens were after your uncle... but how had they met your uncle? Surely if there were aliens landing on the planet you'd hear about it on the news!"

This was the part she hadn't told him about. Her Saiyan heritage was something she kept closer to her more than any other secret; the last secret she would ever tell to anyone. It meant far more to her keeping this safe than anyone knowing of her fighting and flying capabilities. The implications were so large if she were to tell anyone she was actually only half-Earthling, half-alien, especially on a planet with a race which was felt threatened by life-forms they did not understand.

If worst came to the worst she'd have to hastily gather the Dragonballs. For now she would trust him.

"... To put it bluntly," Hairiyu started, "My uncle's an alien. If you were observant enough – and I get the feeling you were – you would have noticed he had a tail like a monkey's."

"He was an alien... also?" Soba stuttered almost breathlessly.

"Yes," Hairiyu nodded. "... I'm sure you've worked it out from the information I've just given you. My mama's an Earthling but my dad's an alien. I'm half."

Soba stayed quiet for a moment, taking this new piece of information in was far harder than anything he'd already heard. It conflicted with everything he knew about aliens, or rather what he'd learnt from his childhood and teenage years. Aliens were green, four-eyed monsters from Mars, or had tentacles or claws and were usually violent and aggressive towards humans. Sure the two aliens Avo and Cado had been hostile but they'd looked like humanoids to him; nothing like the slimy, slithering, gross aliens described in books, cartoons and myths... and then there were these select few who to him looked as human as anyone else!

"I know this is a lot to take in so take all the time that you need," Hairiyu spoke.

Another couple of minutes went by before Soba spoke.

"... You're half-Earthling, huh?"

"Yup," Hairiyu replied. "Surprised?"

"Is that a rhetorical question? What else am I gonna be; you look so, so human!" Soba spluttered. "There is nothing alien about you!"

"I used to look different but not anymore," Hairiyu shook her head. "I used to have a tail like my uncle but it was removed – not by a doctor either! Mama told me I scared the nurses and midwife when I was born!"

"... What is your dad then if he's not an Earthling?" Soba suddenly had many more questions to ask. "Are there loads of alien races that are just as dangerous as those two guys? How did you even come to being born? What the hell was your mother thinking having sex with an alien?"

"Hey, you keep my mama outta this!" Hairiyu growled defensively, letting the comment slip without another word. "...You are aware that I've never told this to anyone before, right?"

"Wait, does Videl Satan know?" Soba asked.

"Yeah, though she found out through someone who has the same heritage as I do," Hairiyu nodded. "That's why she and Mr Satan weren't too freaked out by my brother and the aliens."

"So what is your other half called? What other alien race are you?" Soba asked, starting to sound like an excited and eager child.

"I'm half Earthling... half Saiyan," Hairiyu answered slowly. "I could go into more details about the Saiyans but for now I'll leave it there."

Soba sat quietly once more. It was still so unreal to him. Had he not seen all the things he'd seen the other day, he'd have accused her of lying and would have scoffed at her details. Yet he found he could believe it now he'd seen all the things he'd seen. "... When I was a kid, I used to think perhaps aliens were real. I used to read lots of books about them and play games involving them. Then I grew up and thought there was no way aliens existed. It was just some dumb kid's wish... This turns everything I knew upside down. I was sceptical as a kid; I thought there was a chance they could exist but now I know they do... It contradicts everything else I know."

"There are a lot of planets out there that Earthlings will never be able to reach because of the limits of our technology," Hairiyu explained. "There are loads of different alien races, most peaceful... or at least I think they are. You've probably already deduced this but the two green men at the party are also aliens. They are Namekians; one of the kindest alien races I have ever met."

"W-Wait – you've met other aliens?" Soba asked baffled. "How? ... How do I know any of this is true?"

Hairiyu smiled. "Like I said, as long as you promised to keep this between the two of us, I'd tell you the truth. Whether you choose to believe any of this is your choice. I understand it's a lot for a person to take in."

The sun was starting to dip in the sky. It had been a couple of hours since the two had sat down and still they were talking. Seagulls and other marine birds drifted along the thermals, many landing in the crags of the cliff faces overlooking the calm seas and busy beaches. The coastal path above was relatively quiet as many had flocked to the beaches to bathe in the sun and sea.

"... This has been one insane week..." Soba mumbled leaning back on his hands, glancing up to the sky. "My brain can't take any more information. I'm still finding this all hard to believe... but I can tell this time you're telling the truth."

"This time?" Hairiyu repeated curiously.

"Yeah; every time you'd deny you could fly, you always had this strange tone in your voice..." Soba clarified, "...and you did seem on edge about it; there was a certain look on your face for the briefest of moments as if you were panicking."

Hairiyu pouted and turned away. "... You're far too observant... You remind me of Videl when she was chasing Gohan down a couple of years ago!"

"I'll take that as a compliment," Soba grinned. "... Nine years ago I was here on a day very similar to this. I was with my sister and some of her friends. We were jumping off the cliffs into the sea... I hated heights, I still do. Peer pressure got the better of me and I decided to give it a try. I was absolutely terrified but finally I jumped... This girl caught me in mid-air and flew me onto the cliffs right here before yelling at me..."

"Right," Hairiyu looked down bashfully.

"She had the weirdest hair that stuck up on end and was a bit of a rude brat," Soba continued as a small smirk etched its way onto his face, "then again so was I. Anyway, after the lecturing about how dangerous it was jumping off cliffs into the sea, one of my sister's friends got hurt from doing just that and was taken to hospital... He ended up paralyzed from the waist down and was wheelchair bound. If it hadn't been for that girl, I could have ended up the same way or worse."

"Sounds like she did you a favour then," Hairiyu mused, trying to hide the smile threatening to creep over her face.

"Yeah," Soba nodded. "... This exact spot, nine years ago. She flew off before I could get her name."

"This is starting to sound like the perfect settings for a childhood romance," Hairiyu snorted.

"She did ask me what school I went to just before she left and of course I said West City Elementary," Soba ignored her teasing. "Funny that she panicked and ran off like a coward when I told her."

"Yeah, she sounds like it, doesn't she?" Hairiyu mused, a little irked at his words but knowing now was not the time to play into his hands.

"Your dad and Gohan's dad did that strange transformation where their hair went blonde and they had some kind of blonde fire surrounding them," Soba spoke, eyes kept on Hairiyu to gauge her reaction. "That fused kid did it a little too. Their hair looked a lot like her's and she looked the same age as I was."

"Enough with the stalling; get to the accusing already!" Hairiyu whined rolling her eyes. "I've been able to tell where you've been going with this ever since you started talking!"

"Can you do that too? Can you make your hair change in the same way?" Soba asked, amused she'd gotten tired of his hinting and stalling.

"I can but I'm not gonna do it here," Hairiyu answered. "That form is called Super Saiyan. It's a transformation anyone with Saiyan blood can make but it's incredibly difficult to achieve. Just because you're a Saiyan or have some Saiyan in you does not mean you have automatic access to it."

"So you and that blonde girl were one and the same after all," Soba mumbled smiling.

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded, pondering for a moment and watching a small flock of birds as they made their way over her head.

The calming sounds of the sea sweeping up against the sands and rocks were joined by the muffled sounds of people's voices, the wind whistling past their ears and through the blades of grass. Bird call was heard every-so-often from above and on the cliff ledge.

"... We bump into each other a lot, don't we?" Hairiyu mused.

"Yeah," Soba answered with a nod.

A quick glance at her watch caught her attention and she scurried to her feet. "It's nearly time for dinner... I've gotta get going."

Soba stood up, stretching his arms above his head and stretching his stiffened back. "Yeah, we've been here for a while. Thanks for being honest for once and admitting the truth."

"You're welcome; just don't pester me like that ever again because you've heard it all now," Hairiyu replied.

Soba reached into his pocket and took his capsule case out, mulling over which capsule to use.

"Soba... Feel free to turn up for work tomorrow," Hairiyu added.

"Thanks but no thanks," Soba replied. "Like I said, I quit. I'm helping dad out with his noodle bar so I can't work at Capsule Corp anymore."

"Oh... Sorry, I thought you quit because of our fight," Hairiyu frowned.

"I did," Soba answered. "I took the job with dad reluctantly but it's too late to back out! He wanted one of us to continue the family business and now that he's got me in the job, he sure as hell won't let me back out!"

Hairiyu smiled. "... I guess that makes two of us then. Mama expects me to pull my own weight and continue the business... Well then, if we're not working together anymore, I guess we'll have to find some time to hang out."

"Hang out?" Soba's head shot over to her, almost dropping his capsule case! "... You wanna hang out?" He spluttered unsure whether he'd heard her right.

"Well I'll need to keep an eye on you somehow to make sure you keep your word," Hairiyu explained with a smirk. "Why, are you no longer interested now that you've made me tell you all about myself?"

"No!" Soba growled, voice suddenly softening as he realised how grouchy he was sounding. "..No, hanging out sounds cool."

Hairiyu nodded, rising up into the air. "Good. Maybe next time we meet you could act like a nicer guy rather than stalk me and pester me?"

"Maybe next time we meet you could get a better haircut?" Soba retaliated with a smirk.

Hairiyu glared back angrily, "If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have this abomination on my head!" With that she bolted off through the sky, leaving Soba alone on the cliff overlooking the beach. She would definitely be keeping a close eye on him. He was an interesting human after all. His behaviour and responses perplexed her at times but now he knew one of her deepest secrets she wasn't going to lose sight of him.


	111. Chapter 110

**Chapter 110 – Ominous Presence**

Age 784, May 6th

Ten years had passed since the defeat of Kid Buu at the hands of Son Goku, aided by his comrades and the World Champion Mr Satan. Since then Earth had enjoyed a mostly peaceful time, save eight years prior to our current time where the Saiyan Tarble unwillingly brought along two unwelcome guests. Still the danger had been averted before anything too serious could have happened and peace was returned to Earth once more.

Business was as usual at the Zuzu-Zuru restaurant which was packed full of customers slurping down noodles at their leisure, despite it being a weekday night. It was slowly getting to the later hours of the night where many hard-working business men and women would be returning to their families and going to sleep. From inside the kitchen, Mr Shirataki peered through the delivery shoot, a small smile appearing on his wrinkled face as bowl after bowl of noodles were taken to its recipient. It pleased him to see his restaurant so full and popular as ever. Just above his head the clock sat perched up above the shoot, the large hand just passing the twelve signalling it had just past eight o'clock.

"That's the last order of the night," Soba sighed as he caught a glimpse of the time and wiped his brow, removing his chef hat and placing it on the side of the kitchen work-surface. "Good job guys!" He added to his staff who were still hard at work preparing for more orders. It had been a long afternoon and evening but finally his shift was over. Now all that was left to do was to hand the chef hat back to his father so he could take over for the later night orders.

"It's packed full again," Mr Shirataki patted his son on the back, "You did well to keep up, kid."

"Dad I told you, I'm twenty-eight years old; I'm a little too old for you to be calling me a kid!" Soba wailed with an exasperated sigh. He didn't mind it so much, that was just his father's way of showing affection and reminding him where he stood in this restaurant! A compliment was rare from the man so he'd take it as it was, even if Soba chose to joke about it at times.

"You still whine like one," Mr Shirataki replied with a chuckle, turning his back to congratulate his chefs on a night well done and reminding them it wasn't over yet!

The back door to the kitchen opened with a wide swing catching Soba's attention, a little alarmed at first. The smile on his face widened when he saw the two females approaching him.

"Daddy!"

Ramen had returned along with his little girl; the young child running into her father's arms as Soba hugged and greeted her. "Did you have a good time today?" He asked beaming down at the little girl who in return beamed back up at him, her blue eyes lighting up the room. She had her mother's eyes and skin tone but her hair colour was from his side of the family.

"Yeah, auntie Ramen took me to see the sea! It was big and wet and tasted bad!" The girl nodded with a grin. "Did you cook lotsa food? Did they eat it all up?"

"Yes Chuka, all the customers are eating up all the yummy food," Soba replied, "See if you can go find grandpa whilst I talk to your auntie Ramen. Remember, no running in the kitchen; it's already way past your bedtime anyway so keep it calm. You've been a very lucky girl to be up so late and I don't wanna hear any complaining tomorrow morning that you're tired!"

"I know, I know," The little girl replied, dashing off anyway to find her grandfather. Her voice could be heard shouting "grandpa" even when she'd rounded off the corner!

"Did she behave?" Soba asked his sister quietly so his daughter could not hear. No doubt she'd protest her innocence and how well she'd behaved if she'd heard!

"She was as good as gold," Ramen nodded with a smile. "She went on the horses and all the funfair rides and behaved herself very well. I bought her an ice cream as a reward for her good behaviour!"

"Yeah, just make sure you don't do that too often; Hairiyu doesn't want her picking up any bad associations. She's pretty strict with that kind of stuff..." Soba took a step closer to his sister, "... Any incidents?" He asked in a hushed voice.

"None," Ramen shook her head with a whisper. "She didn't break anything or injure anyone or lose her temper at any of the games. She was very well behaved."

Soba breathed a large sigh of relief. "Good... Hey listen, thanks for looking after Chuka today, I know she can be a handful."

"Not at all," Ramen smiled with a small shake of her head, "I love getting to spend time with my niece! Besides, both her mummy and daddy have a busy work-life to deal with!"

"Not so fast Chuka!" Their father's voice was heard calling down the other end of the kitchen; an excited Chuka running back to her dad and aunt and grabbing onto his hand.

"Daddy, we need to go home now! Come on!" She tugged lightly at her father's arm, jumping up and down on the spot. "Please! Please daddy!"

"What did I say about running in the kitchen?" Soba asked sternly, Chuka flinching a little at her father's tone. The deflated child quickly let go of her father's hand and stood still, eyes averting his gaze. She knew she was in trouble.

"Chuka, what did daddy say?" Ramen asked, a strict tone in her own voice.

"... No running in the kitchen..." Chuka mumbled timidly, gazing down at the floor. She couldn't bear to look up at either of the adults right now knowing she'd not listened to what had been asked of her. She'd usually have known better but it had been ages since she'd been in the back of the restaurant and her excitement had gotten the better of her. All the wonderful smells made her stomach growl at her impatiently despite her having her dinner at the usual time.

"Why is there no running in the kitchen?" Soba asked lowering himself to his daughter's height. She was a short child for her age which made it all the more difficult!

"... 'Cuz it's dangerous and I might get hurt or someone else might get hurt..." Chuka answered quietly.

"Exactly," Soba nodded. "This is a working kitchen with lots of people and sharp objects and hot things. I don't want you or any of my chefs getting injured because you didn't listen to me. Now I think you should apologise to grandpa and me for not listening to us. Then we'll go home."

Chiri reluctantly looked up at the three adults for the briefest of moments, the embarrassment getting the better of her as her eyes darted back to the floor with shame."... Sorry grandpa... sorry daddy..." She apologised.

Home wasn't far away; a couple of streets to be precise. Their house lay in the more exclusive and expensive part of Shore City; large homes meandering up the hill leading to the cliffs overlooking the sea. Theirs was near the end of the street and had a back garden backing out onto the countryside, big enough to be considered land rather than a back garden! The house itself owned several rooms, although not as lush as the woman-of-the-house's mother would have wanted. It was just right; large enough but also small enough for a family of three.

The late spring sun was beginning to set by the time the father and daughter reached home and Chuka was trying desperately to stay awake. The constant bouts of yawns and sleepy eyes were getting the better of her but she had to stay awake! She even refused the piggyback her father'd offered when he'd noticed just how tired she looked!

"Do you think mama will be home?" Chuka asked, in the end she'd settled for holding onto her father's hand. Her footsteps were getting sloppy but she refused to let herself sleep. She would walk home and stay up until she had seen her mama!

"Maybe," Soba replied looking at his watch. "She may have to work later again with the demands of her job." It was almost half past eight; an hour and a half past his four-year-old daughter's bedtime. She would be a little grouchy in the morning if he wasn't mistaken!

"I wanna see mama," Chuka started to run off ahead ignoring the tiredness.

"Wait for me to open the door!" Soba called after his daughter as the memory of one incident a couple of months ago leaped into his consciousness. It had involved having to replace the entire front door because an over-excited girl had pushed it down the last time she'd wanted to see her mama! Thankfully this time Chuka stopped by the door and impatiently waited on the spot calling for her dad to hurry up! He could tell the tiredness was affecting her now. Key in hand, Soba was surprised to find the door unlocked. Apparently she'd gotten away early! The smell of cooking filled his nostrils, although smelling food all evening had lessened the urge to sneak into the oven and sample a bite.

"Mama! We're home!" Chuka announced loudly, running straight for the living room, then darting past her father into the kitchen. "Mama!" She called loudly.

"Not so loud Chuka," Soba sighed, closing the door and switching the hall-light on.

"There's my little girl!" His wife's voice was muffled.

"Mama!"

Soba followed through into the kitchen to find his wife sorting out the mail and cooking herself some food; apparently she hadn't had time to eat any food at work apart from on her lunch break. He wandered over and kissed her on the cheek, much to his daughter's disdain (who then started making retching noises). "How was work?" He asked.

"Busy as ever but I got home early," Hairiyu replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "... Looks like it's all my mail again... No doubt it's all bills and official work stuff; why mama insists on all my work stuff being sent home is beyond me!" With a disgruntled sigh she turned her attention fully to her husband, "How about yours? How was your day?"

"Mama, mama, guess what?" Chuka interrupted before Soba could answer. "Pan's entering the tournament tomorrow!"

"Pan is?" Soba gasped in shock glancing over to Hairiyu as if he were looking for some sign of how crazy the idea sounded. He didn't exactly get the response he was looking for; Hairiyu looked indifferent to the news! He wasn't satisfied with this! "G-Gohan and Videl are letting their five-year-old child-"

"She's not just any five-year-old child," Hairiyu butted in. "Pan's a dangerous opponent for all the normal human fighters entering! The only thing she's gotta worry about are our friends... and making sure she understands the rules!"

"Even so..." Soba folded his arms, unconvinced. "... She's five!"

"When I was her age I was blasting off into space and had already seen most of my mother's friends be killed," Hairiyu snorted. "Pan's lucky she lives in peaceful times! I was practically scarred for life at her age!" She then changed the subject. "As it was I had the company to myself this afternoon much to my joy! Mama and dad went out today to visit Gohan and Goku's families. It's been years since any of us have seen Goku, it was really grating on her nerves; I had to finish all her work! I'm vice-president of Capsule Corp; I should be doing vice-president work – not the president's work!"

"I know, I know," Soba chuckled with amusement. It was amazing to see how much work she was now having to do compared to the time he'd worked under her as her assistant. What was even more pleasant to see was her dedication had improved somewhat, even if at times it had left their relationship a little strained. "Well at least you're able to handle vice-president work! Eight years ago you were struggling with the little work you had!"

"I wasn't as career-bent eight years ago," Hairiyu replied. "... Nor did I have bills to pay! Sure I bought my own stuff but I'm a working woman now!"

"Mama! When's dinner gonna be done?" Chuka asked. "I'm really, really hungry."

"Aww, did daddy not let you have any food at the restaurant?" Hairiyu cooed at her daughter glancing up at Soba.

"How can she still be hungry? Ramen bought her dinner! Anyway, we sold out tonight, it was incredible!" Soba grinned. "Dad actually patted me on the back and told me it was a job well done... then called me a kid..."

"Grandpa's silly!" Chuka started to giggle, then quietened abruptly as her eyes widened a tad. "... Other grandpa is scary..." She added with a spooked expression on her face, skin paling a little at the thought of her other grandfather. How Bra managed to be with him without feeling terrified was beyond Chuka!

"Well little missy, are you gonna be entering the tournament as well?" Hairiyu asked, much to the horrified look on Soba's and Chuka's faces!

"Me?" Chuka gagged, eyes now even wider with fear. "...Enter the... the... ten... koi..."

"Tenkaichi Budokai," Hairiyu corrected.

"Tenkichy Budokay," Chuka repeated smiling pleased with herself, though this quickly vanished as her eyes fell to her feet. "Nuh uh, I don wanna enter it... it's for strong grown-ups." She mumbled shaking her head. Just the thought of it sent shivers across her entire body. Battle with the likes of her grandfather and Pan's grandfather and uncle? No way, she could never do that, not in a million years! They were all so, so, so strong!

"Aww but Pan's gonna be there," Hairiyu frowned a little, leaning down and placing a supportive hand on her daughter's head. She definitely seemed to take after her when it came to lack of confidence; Chuka reminded Hairiyu of herself as a small child, except without the need and urgency to be brave! "You'll be fine, I really think your training's enough to get you through to the final ring fights. Your uncle Trunks and grandpa Vegeta will be there and so will Pan's uncle Goten and her grandpa Goku."

Chuka contemplated this. "... That's why I don't wanna enter... Everyone's really strong..."

"A-Are you crazy?" Soba hissed. "She's four years old!"

"She'll kick their butts, unless she ends up against Goku, my dad, Goten or Trunks!" Hairiyu retaliated in a hushed voice, "They'll go easy on her! Cut Chuka a little slack; you've seen how easily she can break through the walls in this house!"

"... Uncle Trunks and grandpa Vegeta have scary faces..." Chuka mumbled. "... but uncle Goten and grandpa Goku are nice and Pan's gonna fight... Pan'll make me fight if I don't enter too..." She looked up to her mother in desperation, "Will mama fight too?"

"Eh?" Hairiyu's face dropped as alarm-bells went off in her head.

"I'll fight if mama fights!" Chuka beamed realising she'd hit the jackpot. If her mother wouldn't fight then neither would she! Chuka knew how much her mother encouraged her to stay active and was trying to get her to train so it seemed a little blackmail was in order! "Please mama, please?" She begged. "I don't wanna fight if you don't fight!"

"... Um... I don't much like my chances... but alright," Hairiyu gave in. _'I can't say no to that adorable face! I've really gotta watch this kid, she's getting too coy for her own good!'_

"Yay, then Chuka will enter!" Chuka cheered pleased she'd managed to get her way. At least with her mother around she wouldn't have to stay close to her scary-looking uncle and grandfather! Pan would be happy knowing someone else was entering too, she couldn't wait to tell her!

Soba began to laugh, "You're seriously going to enter? Hairiyu, you haven't trained seriously in six years. You sure you wanna do this?"

"She does train," Chuka replied, "Every day she and grandpa Vegeta have a fight before she leaves work. That's why she comes home with cuts and bruises!"

"It's part of my contract," Hairiyu muttered rolling her eyes exasperated, "I have to spend my lunch break training with dad! How on earth dad managed to weave that stupid condition into it is beyond me!"

"... When do you eat?" Soba asked baffled.

"When I work!"

"Hungry! Mama I'm hungry!" Chuka tugged on her mother's sleeve, wiping some sleep from her eye and trying to mask her yawn without much success.

"Sorry Chuka but it's way past your bedtime. You can have a glass of milk before you go to bed but you have to promise me you'll not mess around!" Hairiyu responded sternly. "I don't want you to be tired in the morning, alright?"

Once Chuka'd been given her snack and had brushed her teeth and been sent to bed, Hairiyu finally began to eat, stuffing her face due to the large amount of time she'd had to spend working thanks to her mother going out and leaving her daughter to do her work!

"So are you seriously going to enter?" Soba asked intrigued as he brought a cup of tea in with him, sitting next to Hairiyu.

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded through mouthfuls. Dinner was the only meal she could currently satisfy her Saiyan appetite and being a working woman and full-time mother took up so much of her time, she barely had any time to train. For the past few years during their sparring sessions, Hairiyu found herself becoming less and less of a challenge for her father who was clearly extending the gap between their powers. It had initially aggravated her to see herself becoming weaker and less useful in battle though she was relieved to know she still had time to train even if it was supposed to be her lunch break! Times were tough and she had little free time to do anything. It was a little disappointing but she couldn't abandon her motherhood or her job: she was bringing in the majority of the money!

Soba leaned his chin against his arm and observed her for a moment before speaking, "... Well it surprised me when you agreed; since when were you one to give into Chuka's demands?"

"If it'll let her feel more secure and confident then I'll do it," Hairiyu swallowed another mouthful and put down her cutlery. "She's got decent skills as a fighter, I don't think she's got the heart or stomach of one though. I know if Pan's there she'll be ok but she doesn't realise that. At least by entering the Budokai she can see just how capable she is."

"I guess," Soba mused. "... I dunno, I think she's too young to be entering a tournament but you have far more knowledge on our daughter's skills than I ever will. Just make sure she doesn't get herself hurt, that's all I'll ask."

"She'll make sure of that," Hairiyu sighed with a sad smile. "If she ends up against dad or Trunks, she'll forfeit before the match starts! She's so timid... and poor Trunks was unfortunately blessed with dad's face!"

"... What about you?" Soba asked. "Do you think you can win the Tenkaichi Budokai?"

"Doubt it very much!" Hairiyu scoffed. "I dunno if I could beat Trunks or Goten let alone dad or Goku or Buu! Then again mama did say something about Goku mentioning another warrior going to be there, a human at that! It's strange; I can't sense any new powers at all on this planet... I wonder what he meant..."

"A human? Really?" Soba snorted. "That's hard to believe! How can a human compare to you guys? That Krillin guy maybe, but no other human would stand a chance! Gohan's dad is pretty strange at times."

"True but I'd take him seriously," Hairiyu agreed with a smirk. "Goku's normally right about things like this, he seems to be able to sense powers being hidden away a lot better than the rest of us."

"Can you sense this person?" Soba asked still not buying it.

"No," Hairiyu shook her head. "I don't know what to make of all this but I'll heed his words. I'd be stupid not to listen to him!"


	112. Chapter 111

**Chapter 111 – Return to the Budokai**

The craft finally set down in the back yard of Capsule Corp, Soba shutting off the engines briefly and opening the back hatch to let everyone else aboard. Despite his fear of heights he was content to flying large craft with walls surrounding him, much to his wife's confusion and amusement! As long as there were things to protect him from falling and he didn't have to directly face the ground, he was generally alright. Being in control of the craft also helped!

The family of four standing by the large building had been waiting and began to make their way into the craft settling themselves down. A now teenage Trunks was the first to board with his mother and little sister Bra close behind, Vegeta bringing up the rear taking his own time and being as sociable as ever. "You're a little later than we thought you'd be," Bulma mumbled as she sat herself down.

"Sorry, a certain young madam forgot to brush her teeth," Hairiyu apologised taking a quick glance over to her shy daughter before hugging her mother briefly. She turned to her younger siblings. "So, you still entering, Trunks?" She asked curiously.

"No thanks to dad," Trunks muttered glumly as he sat down, Bra giggling as she slipped herself next to Chuka, both exchanging a small smile with each other before Bra turned back to face her older sister.

"Papa bribed him!" The young girl responded, her hair sitting on top of her head in a pony tail bouncing around as she moved. Bra was the spitting image of their mother; it was hard to see any of her father's qualities physically speaking but word had it she had a terrible temper when angered!

"The boy needs to stop slacking off - as do you," Vegeta muttered, sending a sharp look at his oldest daughter who merely ignored him. He knew the only training she ever participated in now was during her lunch break with him, infuriated she'd seemingly lost all motivation and drive.

"Enough, Vegeta! Hairiyu's learning to run the family business," Bulma growled at her mate. "Is it not enough she trains with you during her lunch break? I hope you realise the impact it's having on her work!"

"Hello nana Bulma!" Chuka slid off her seat and rushed to her grandmother, who welcomed her with open arms and a smile, a small twang in her head reminding her she was now a grandmother and therefore old! Still Bulma did not show any outwardly agitation and merely hugged the small child.

"There's my granddaughter!" She cooed. "So, are you looking forward to watching your uncle and grandfather fight?"

"Yeah, and mama too!" Chuka nodded breaking free from Bulma's arms. "Me and mama are gonna fight."

"What?" Bulma gawked, head whirling straight towards her daughter with concern, ignoring the small smirk that had appeared on Vegeta's face. "You're entering?" She repeated baffled.

"If I didn't then Chuka wouldn't have," Hairiyu replied defensively, knowing her mother was about to reel off many reasons why she shouldn't appear on national television battling in a martial arts tournament! It would ruin her reputation at the company for one thing, not to mention she'd be constantly asked questions by the employees which would deter focus away from company procedures. Not only that, if she had an injury she would need sufficient amount of time off work to make it seem like she'd made a recovery just like any other human, when in reality all she'd need to do was eat a senzu bean or see Dende, but to name a few! Still she'd been desperate to get Chuka to participate, if anything to give her daughter a little more self-belief.

"Here we go!" Soba started the engines as Hairiyu sat down in the front seat, the engines roaring into life as the ship shuddered and started to rise.

"You're entering the tournament, Chuka?" Bra asked inquisitively. "Why? I thought you didn't like fighting."

"I don't really but mama's entering too and so is Pan so I thought I should enter, otherwise they'll be mad at me..." Chuka nodded nervously.

"No one would be mad," Bulma frowned with worry.

"No way, you're entering too?" Trunks hadn't been paying attention the first time and was flabbergasted! He leaned forward to speak to his older sister who sat beside her husband, "You haven't trained in so long, how do you expect to beat me and dad?" He smiled with amusement.

"Hey, I have trained... just not as much as I used to." Hairiyu pouted. "If I didn't enter than Chuka wouldn't have and I wanted her to get a taste of what an actual fight is."

"She'll never get a taste of a real battle at some silly tournament," Vegeta snorted. "I'll thoroughly enjoy reminding both of you who the strongest fighter in this family is!"

"Oh hush and stop scaring Chuka," Bulma snapped noticing the fear written across her granddaughter who was now flinching away from the aging Saiyan. She'd always been a bit nervous around Vegeta and for good reason – he was a harsh teacher and an even harsher grandparent and Chuka was timid. This naturally meant Chuka'd avoid her grandpa Vegeta as much as she could!

"She still thinks dad has a scary face?" Trunks asked Hairiyu quietly.

"She thinks you do too," Hairiyu giggled, much to Trunks' mortification!

The Budokai grounds were just as busy as they'd been ten years ago. As usual it felt like a festival with stands of carnival games, food, drinks, and apparel being sold. The crowds were as big as ever and the group tried to pass through the wandering people as best they could without getting split up. Through it all Hairiyu found herself being clung to tightly by her daughter so she wouldn't get lost or run off. She was a young girl of four after all; crowds like these were an easy thing to get lost in!

"Any sign of them?" Bulma asked trying her best to look through the hoards of people.

"Nope, just regular people," Trunks shook his head.

"Who are we looking for mama?" Bra asked, also clinging to her mother's hand to stick close by.

"Goku's family, or Krillin and the others," Bulma answered with a smile.

"We'll never find them like this, there're too many people," Hairiyu frowned.

"Then use your brain and start sensing them out," Vegeta grunted annoyed, though it wasn't clear if this was because of the crowds or his children's lack of battle sense.

It didn't take long; Trunks finally spotted Goten amongst the crowds as the two families converged into one big group. It had been a few months since Hairiyu'd seen Gohan and Videl and their daughter and even longer since she'd seen Goku, Chichi or Goten! The group quickly caught up on the latest news as they travelled through the crowds.

"You're participating as well?" Videl asked, her eyes widening.

"Yeah, otherwise Chuka wouldn't have entered," Hairiyu nodded. "It's my duty as a mother to provide Chuka with all the support I can and if me entering the tournament is enough to convince her to, then so be it."

"Good plan. Pan's been looking forward to this," Gohan smiled. "Dad forced Goten to start training and cancel his date for today."

"Mama! Pan got to have an ice-cream," Chuka interrupted the adults, tugging on her mother's clothes. Just ahead of them, young Pan was holding onto her grandfather's hand finishing off her ice-cream. The little girl had dark hair just like every other member of her family though her eyes clearly came from her father's side of the family. Her hair was short, just as her mother's had been in the last Budokai she'd participated in. She'd also come pre-dressed in her dogi as had the rest of her family; Pan seemed content clinging to her grandfather's hand and eating the rest of the ice-cream cone in her hand.

"You want one too?" Hairiyu asked her daughter, trying to work out how much money she and her husband had bought along.

"Hey, there they are!" The loud voice distracted the mother from her daughter's demands, a smile sweeping over her face as the rest of the gang stood waiting for them.

"Hey, so how is everyone?" Goku asked approaching the large group. Krillin and his family were there, as was Master Roshi, Piccolo, Dende, Yamcha, Puar and Oolong. It had been ages since Hairiyu'd seen many of these faces and it brought her back to old times to see them all once again. She couldn't help but notice in particular how tall Marron was now getting. How old was she now? Thirteen maybe?

"Well you wouldn't know!" Krillin replied sounding a little put out but a friendly smile ever present on his wrinkling face. "We haven't seen you in ages! Would it kill you to drop in or give us a call? We're your friends, aren't we a little more important than training?"

"Geez, Bulma had a go at me for the very same thing!" Goku chuckled sheepishly rubbing the back of his head before turning to Piccolo. "Are you gonna be competing?"

"And step into the ring with the likes of you? No, I'm getting too old for this, I think I'll just kick back and watch," Piccolo answered.

"You don't look a day older!" Gohan mused to his former mentor.

"I think he may be slacking off a little," Hairiyu smirked.

"That's rich coming from you," Trunks muttered quietly though it wasn't quiet enough, earning an offended look from his older sister!

"Gran'pa," Pan began to tug on her grandfather's training shirt, "we're gonna be late!"

"You're right, we'd better get going," Goku nodded. "See you later!" He waved as he was pulled away by his excited granddaughter, the young girl apparently eager to get to the battles as soon as possible. She was definitely an eager, energetic and hard-working fighter from what Hairiyu'd been told by Gohan, though she had yet to see the extent of it for herself. Compared to Pan, Chuka wasn't as outgoing or eager to train, instead she was rather withdrawn and shy though she was definitely full of life when it came to exploring and going to new places. Hairiyu was uncertain where her daughter's interest lay but she was almost certain unlike Pan, Chuka would not take training so seriously. She just didn't seem to have the knack for it nor did she have the eagerness. Whether it was due to lack of experience or lack of interest Hairiyu wasn't sure.

"Trunks, Hairiyu and Chuka, do your best, alright?" Bulma smiled, not bothering to wish Vegeta luck as he was already making his way after Goku and Pan.

"Both of you hold back against the humans," Soba reminded them, hugging his daughter and wife. "We'll be watching and cheering you on!"

"Bye daddy, bye nana Bulma and Bra!" Chuka waved, pulling her mother away, leaving her to wave over her shoulder.

"Good luck!" Bra called waving back. "Don't kill them or you'll be thrown out, remember?"

The preliminary round once again relied on the punch machine, although this time Mr Satan was not here to show an example shot. Naturally the entire group passed with little difficulty and much to their relief, Vegeta did not break the machine this time! Afterwards they decided to pay an old friend a visit.

Hairiyu leaned against the wall opposite her father, watching as Chuka and Pan bounded up to the door alongside Goku, knocking politely and waiting for a response. The door opened, Mr Satan popping an angry and balding head around; anger quickly dispersing as he realised it wasn't fans and in fact friends. "Goku! Hello!" He smiled in surprise.

"Hi!" Goku greeted in his usual cheerful tone.

"Gran'pa Satan!" Pan beamed.

"Well if it isn't my sweet little Pan!" Mr Satan picked the small girl up and rubbed his stubbly cheek against hers affectionately. "Did you come here to cheer for your grandpa?" He cooed.

"Nope, I'm fightin'," Pan answered bluntly, much to Mr Satan's distress, "So's gran'pa Goku and Goten and Trunks and Hairiyu and Chuka and uncle Vegeta too!"

"We all passed the prelims of course," Goku nudged a thumb towards the others; Trunks and Goten doing some sort of greeting they'd obviously practiced prior. The panic on Mr Satan's face made Hairiyu giggle smugly; clearly the reigning champion hadn't bargained on this! "Don't worry, if any of us make it to the finals we'll let you win," Goku added before the poor man would have a panic attack.

"R-Really?" Mr Satan gasped relieved.

"Yeah but maybe someone other than Buu or us will win," Goku suggested.

Hairiyu perked up at this comment, _'Someone else? That human mama mentioned? Who else is there that could possibly win? It's just so hard to believe...'_

"You're a strange one Goku! Of course one of you guys or Buu will win!" Mr Satan laughed.

"Um, Mr Satan..." Goten stepped forward, "The others were saying all the seats in the stands were sold out. They were wondering if you could get them seats."

"Leave it to me!" Mr Satan grinned, rushing into his room and grabbing the phone.

Eventually after a small catch-up and ensuring their family and friends would have decent seats, Goku and the others decided to head for the main area for the competitors and leave Mr Satan in peace. As the small group of warriors wandered down the corridors and out into the open air and towards the match allocating area, they were briefly greeted by a flustered Videl.

"You guys did tell dad to give us seats right?" She asked sounding a little breathless.

"Mama, we saw gran'pa Satan!" Pan cheered, oblivious to her mother's distress.

"Yeah, we told him there were no seats left," Goten nodded.

Videl pouted, a small flash of annoyance on her face, "They moved us onto benches right in front of the ring! It's ridiculous and embarrassing, everyone can see us, we really stand out in a bad way! Is dad still with Buu in his room? We seriously need to move before Bulma finds him and does goodness knows what to him!"

Hairiyu and Trunks both smiled nervously. "... Mama's not happy then." Hairiyu mused.

"He's still there," Goku responded. "At least you'd have a good view of the matches!"

Videl rushed off into the building, easily getting past the officials once they realised who she was. The group continued their journey to the main waiting area and soon arrived. There were a few other fighters already present, stretching and practicing their warm-ups ready for the match-ups to begin.

"Goku, welcome back!" The announcer emerged walking towards the group – he was now showing signs of aging and hair loss as were many of the others Hairiyu hadn't seen in a while.

"Hi," Goku greeted him with a smile.

Hairiyu decided it was best to observe the competitors who were already here and started to look around at the group of fighters, feeling a small hand cling to her trouser leg. No surprise to find out it was her daughter, "You alright, Chuka?" She asked.

"... Uh huh..." Chuka's voice was slightly shaky, the young girl also observing the other fighters. Hairiyu felt a little bad for her daughter; the nerves must have been getting to her. She was only four years old, five at the end of the year. Both her and Pan wouldn't have had any experience of battles such as these, not that they were as intense as the ones Hairiyu'd fought at their age...

A small thud was heard to her right; Pan was rolling head over heels across the floor.

"Pan, are you hurt?" Chuka called, a little terrified of rushing over to her friend – and for good reason. A dark shadow had fallen over the five-year-old as a giant of a man approached her. Hairiyu watched cautiously, a little on edge as the towering man peered down at the young girl.

"Were you the one that hit me?" The man grunted. "You think you can mess with Mo Kekko and get away with it? Stupid little baby!"

A teary eyed Pan scrambled to her feet and rushed over to Goku for safety, "Gran'pa!" She wailed.

Hairiyu sent a venomous glare over to the man who seemed pleased with himself. "It was an accident you know, why don't you save your flaunting for the ring and stop picking on kids?" She jeered. Mo Kekko – if that was his name – glowered at the woman for a moment sizing her up. Chuka hid further behind her mother's leg, terrified of the large man who merely sneered and turned around.

"Don't worry Pan... it's just a game," Goku was heard saying, patting his granddaughter's head.

"Alright, it looks like everyone's here. We will draw lots to determine the order of the matches!" The announcer cried over the small murmurings of the tiny crowd of fighters.

"So who's the amazing guy your dad was going on about?" Trunks asked Goten.

"Amazing guy?" Hairiyu repeated. "The human guy?"

"Dad reckons some powerful fighter besides us is here," Goten explained. "I dunno who he is but there sure are some weirdoes here..."

Hairiyu's eyes fell upon the board which was being wheeled out before them. '_... Sixteen slots again...'_ Hairiyu mumbled. _'Four matches in all.'_

"Sixteen competitors will square off in one-on-one, elimination style matches! The winner of these sixteen fighters will then have the chance to face off against the world champion himself – Mr Satan!" The announcer then proceeded to running through the rules.

"Which one is it, Kakarrot?" Vegeta asked quietly observing the fighters around them.

"Yeah, what's this all about?" Hairiyu was growing more and more curious. There was no one here besides them or Buu had a power level decent enough to speak of; none of the other competitors looked like much of a challenge. Surely she'd be able to sense this amazing fighter from so close – yet she couldn't sense anything significant! All of these fighters were regular humans from what she could sense. She was surprised to find another kid had made it through; the young boy looked tense and terrified and was a lot older than Pan and Chuka. Furthermore he didn't seem to have much muscle on him and looked a little underfed...

'_Poor kid...'_ she frowned. _'I wonder what kinds of hardships he has to live in...'_

"The first fighter to draw a lot is Goten!"

"Here!" Goten called, walking forward towards the officials and drawing a ball.

"Hey Buu, could you do me a little favour? Could you change the numbers that come up?" Goku asked quietly. "You do it for Mr Satan all the time, right?"

"Goten has drawn number eight! The next fighter is Mo Kekko!"

"Okay, Buu do," Buu nodded.

"... It's not like you to break the rules..." Vegeta muttered intrigued by his rival's behaviour.

"I know," Goku replied, "but I wanna fight this guy in the first round when we're both at our best."

"Mo Kekko is number two! Next up is Captain Chicken!"

One by one the contestants were called up. Pan picked out slot number one, placing her against Mo Kekko. Chuka ended up with number ten, Hairiyu number six. Throughout it all, Hairiyu watched Goku and Buu's actions carefully as Goku was finally called up, asking Buu to give him slot number three. Buu deliberately kept slot four free as several more fighters had their slots fixed. Next to choose was the young boy, apparently named Uub.

"Now Buu, give him number four and that's all the cheating I need," Goku instructed.

Hairiyu's eyes widened in disbelief as the boy made his way towards the balls. "That boy?" She repeated stunned.

"He's just a kid!" Vegeta protested baffled. "... You'd better explain this!"

"Well, back when I was about to destroy Kid Buu, I made a request for him to be reincarnated as a good guy so I could fight him again," Goku explained. "Apparently King Yama heard my request and pulled some strings."

"So that kid is Buu reborn?" Vegeta gasped.

"Yeah, I can sense it's him," Goku nodded. "Plus there's a pretty big clue. His name is Uub, right? Spell it backwards and it says Buu!"

Finally the fights were decided, all sixteen slots filled. The first match was Pan vs. Mo Kekko; match two saw Goku face Uub, match three saw Captain Chicken fight Hairiyu, match four was Mr Buu against Goten. Match five saw Chuka against Killerno, match six was Nuckul vs. Ponpon, match seven pit Trunks against Otokosuki, whilst match eight hosted Knock facing off against Vegeta.

"You're in the first match Pan," Chuka still sounded nervous. "Aren't you scared?"

"No, not really," Pan shook her head though she made a quick glance over to the gigantic man who now seemed to be fuming.

"... He looks scary..." Chuka quivered.

"It's not fair! Why'd I end up against Buu in the first round?" Goten protested.

"That's the luck of the draw!" Trunks smirked patting his friend on the shoulder unsympathetically.

"That's what you get for slacking off on your training," Goku chuckled. "Although it looks like you'll be on that date a little sooner than you thought!"

"Mama, you're against a chicken man," Chuka chortled unable to contain her amusement at the man's bizarre costume. "You like chickens!"

"Yeah..." Hairiyu nodded, "He won't last long against me... Though I wish I'd gotten to fight you in the first round. At least I know you'd get some decent exercise!"

"What are you all whining about?" Mo Kekko snapped at the group stomping over towards them. "I've gotta face off against a little kid! I came here for combat, not kindergarten!"

Pan, who was clinging to her grandfather's leg, indignantly spat her tongue out at the towering man, much to Mo Kekko's fury.

"How is this even allowed? She should be at home nursing!" The man spat with disgust.

"You'll be at home nursing your wounds after the day is through..." Hairiyu muttered a little annoyed with the man's attitude. _'... and that doesn't mean they'd have been inflicted by Pan!'_

"Well I'm happy with my match-up!" Otokosuki approached Trunks, sending shivers down the lavender-haired fighter's spine as he flinched away from the man's small tap on his shoulder. "I promise not to bruise your face!"

"Well Trunks, that's the luck of the draw!" Goten grinned with a snort.

"Well it looks like I'll be fighting the damsel," Captain Chicken approached the group, Hairiyu glaring back at the caped hero. "No worries ma'am, I shall go easy on you, pull my punches and be a gentleman at all times! A hero must never hurt a lady."

"Well if that's your policy, whatever city you serve would be screwed if a female criminal appeared," Hairiyu rolled her eyes; she would have made a much more violent threat had it not been for her daughter being present! Assumptions were dangerous, dangerous things and he was treading on thin ice. _'I guess equality means I should pull my punches too then... shame. I'd have loved to have slugged this guy just to make a point!'_

The sound of a fist striking skull caught Hairiyu's eye as Knock shot backwards, crashing to the floor in a dazed heap.

"... Tell the officials my opponent has decided to forfeit the match." Vegeta muttered lowering his fist.


	113. Chapter 112

**Chapter 112 – Goku's New Goal**

The group were moved to the waiting room and were told the matches would begin soon. It hadn't changed at all since the twenty fifth Budokai all those years ago, save a couple of the paintings and photos placed on the wall. The atmosphere in the room was just as tense as the sixteen finalists were left to entertain themselves, whether it be through chatting to friends, eating, sleeping, or simply warming up for the upcoming battles. The gang found a space in the room and kept themselves to themselves.

"Are you scared?" Chuka asked her friend as she and Pan watched the others warm up from a bench.

"Nope," Pan shook her head kicking her feet back and forth.

"Eh? But he's so big and scary!" Chuka exclaimed baffled by Pan's indifference. "... You're not scared of anything, are you?"

"Just mama and gran'ma Chichi," Pan whispered quietly.

"You'll both do fine," Goku replied approaching the two girls.

"As long as you stay strong but are careful, you'll get through no problem against both of your opponents," Hairiyu added.

"First match is Pan vs. Mo Kekko!" The announcer's voice came clear over the speaker system and through from the tournament arena, interrupting the conversation.

"You're up, Pan," Goten called with a smile. "Go get them."

"Yeah!" Pan jumped forwards off of the bench she'd been perched on and waved at the others before running off, "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck Pan!" Chuka called nervously though she quickly turned to her mother. "Pan won't get hurt will she mama?"

"I doubt it," Hairiyu replied, eager to see how the little girl had progressed in her training. It was time to see how the daughter of Gohan and Videl – not to mention the granddaughter of Goku and Mr Satan – faired in the fighting world. The young girl had some high expectations on her shoulders. She watched alongside the others as Pan and her opponent Mo Kekko made it onto the stage; the announcer giving a little information about each fighter before the match was started. Naturally with her being Mr Satan's granddaughter, the crowds were cheering for Pan though many were sceptical about the five-year-old being able to fight in the Budokai!

"Pan's popula', isn't she mama?" Chuka asked amazed, eyes drifting briefly to the towering man Pan had been pitted against and gulping down the lump threatening to choke her. "Th-That guy is huge. I hope he doesn't step on her... He'd probably squash her because he's so heavy!"

"Pan'll be fine, you'll see," Hairiyu responded with a snort. "You could handle him no problem once you get past your nerves."

"No I couldn't, he's way too strong," Chuka mumbled quietly to herself, frowning a little. "Please be ok, Pan."

The two contestants were now onto the raised arena ring and now faced each other in preparation for the start of the battle. The drums started to beat in the build-up to the start of the match. Then suddenly everything went dead quiet; the gong sounded marking the official start of the first match. The Budokai had officially started.

"Let the match begin!" The announcer cried.

Mo Kekko took a couple of heavy footsteps over to Pan, certain he knew how this would end, bitterly ashamed he was pitted against a girl the size of his boot.

The young girl suddenly leapt up six feet into the air now level with Mo Kekko's large mug. One hand was pulled back before lashing out and slapping the unprepared Mo Kekko heavily across the face! The strike sent the giant bouncing several times across the tournament ring, grasping his face in pain, almost stunned by disbelief! As the man slowly got to his feet attempting to overcome his shock that a tiny little girl had caused him so much pain with one slap, Pan closed in and kicked the unsuspecting man clean in his back. Mo Kekko was sent flying forwards uncontrollably over the edge of the ring, crashing heavily into one of the stand barriers and falling to the ground with a thud.

The crowds were silent with disbelief, many, many pairs of eyes wide and jaws gaping open. Had she...?

"G-Good heavens!" The announcer cried suddenly becoming animated again, rushing over to the out-of-bounds contestant, checking for any signs of life. "Is he...? ...No, he's still breathing! Mo Kekko is outta the ring, Pan wins and advances to the next stage of the tournament!"

The crowds, shaky at first, started to roar with joy as little Pan wandered back towards the waiting room singing to herself. Many had put her freakishly tough strength down to her being Mr Satan's granddaughter and Videl's daughter, cheering her on as the small girl skipped back to her family and friends chanting; "Number one! Number one! Number one!"

"P-Pan!" Mr Satan suddenly burst into the waiting room stumbling over his feet a little, "Are you hurt?" He asked anxiously looking at his granddaughter for any signs of injury. She appeared to be ok but had her opponent been terrifying for her to face? Was she going to cry from the emotion of it all?

"Nope," Pan shook her head with a smile.

"Why would she be hurt?" Trunks snorted rolling his eyes, irritated by the man's over-protectiveness and powers of underestimation. His granddaughter was made of far tougher stuff than he gave credit for!

"That was the best fight ever, Pan!" Chuka rushed up to her friend eyes beaming wide and fists clenched tightly, "You kicked that big, scary giant-man into the wall! I bet that was scary!"

"That was quite a sight to see, well done Pan," Goku placed a hand on his granddaughter's head and ruffled her hair.

"Thanks," Pan beamed proudly.

Goku rose back to full height and glanced over his shoulder to face the young boy in the corner, who for the most part seemed to be minding his own business, though Goku's glance caught his eye. "Looks like we're next," Goku smiled, a little surprised when little Uub almost jumped out of his skin!

"R-Right," The timid boy stepped forward, flinching a little as Goku held out one hand. Cautiously he looked at the man's hand before he eventually took it, seemingly sensing no malice of any kind, "N-Nice to meet you." He bashfully smiled.

"Let's begin the second match: Son Goku vs. Uub!" The announcer called.

The two contestants left the waiting room and stepped out into the stadium and into the overwhelming roar of the cheering crowds, though the cries were not as loud as the previous match as both contestants were more-or-less unknown competitors. As they walked the announcer gave a little information about the two contestants:

"Son Goku is a master martial artist who has entered this competition many times and even been champion! Personally I think he is the finest competitor this year! You can look forward to an exciting match between Son Goku and Mr Satan's protégé Mr Buu!

"Uub is ten years old and comes from a southern tropical island. He is the oldest of five siblings who works hard to take care of his brothers and sisters. He has entered the tournament for the prize money!"

'_Poor kid, having to go up against Goku in the first match...'_ Hairiyu frowned. Even if he was supposed to be the reincarnation of the evil Buu, he was just a ten-year-old boy; who was to say he'd be anything special? Only this battle would tell.

The drums started, stopping as the gong sounded.

"Let the match begin!"

Hairiyu made her way around the large board centred in the entrance to the arena, peering through the gap between it and the wall. The murmurs of the crowds meant she couldn't hear Goku or Uub talking – Goku's mouth was moving but she couldn't lip read. Uub seemed tense and nervous at first but his body soon loosened for a moment, tensing up again although this time with anger as Goku turned and began slapping his own backside at the boy!

"What's he doing?" She groaned uncomfortably, trying to stifle a laugh.

"...They're just talking?" Trunks muttered a little confused. Why were they not fighting?

Then suddenly Goku leapt forwards, kicking the boy across the face; the large amount of ki put into the kick startling Hairiyu. Astonishingly Uub was knocked back on one foot, head tilted back slightly. He slowly glared at his opponent, shouting something as he charged and attacked. Uub's foot swung out, connecting with Goku's blocking arm. The atmosphere and the arena shuddered under the impact, Hairiyu's mouth gaped open in shock at the sheer power she suddenly felt from Uub. It was like a river overwhelming its banks and flowing uncontrollably! The only other time she'd ever sensed anything like this was against Buu! Indeed he was who Goku claimed; he definitely must have been Buu's reincarnation! She kept her eyes peeled as Goku narrowly dodged Uub's uppercut, backflipping across the arena, Uub in pursuit.

The sparring continued, Goku now on the attack. Although the punches from the Saiyan were definitely not being held back on, Uub was enduring them incredibly well and barely took a step back after several strikes dealt in one go. Goku wasn't making any move to transform from the looks of things, perhaps to keep it on an even playing field and to test Uub's powers? As it was Uub eventually started to counter, Goku teleporting around the arena, as did Uub! It was becoming quickly impossible for any human to keep up with the fight!

"I don't believe it!" Goten choked.

"This kid is matching your dad!" Trunks exclaimed. "You don't suppose this is the tough guy your dad was talking about, do you?"

Uub emerged behind Goku; the seasoned Saiyan grabbing the boy's arm and evading the punch, Uub now caught behind him. The Saiyan leapt up high into the sky, Uub still in tow, and tossed Uub straight for the arena floor! Uub flailed as he panicked and with a terrific rumble he was sent pile-driving through the tiles of the arena floor with a heavy crash. A small tower of white dust scattered up fifty feet into the air.

"He's dead!" Chuka shrieked horrified.

"No..." Trunks shook his head watching the cloud of dust rising carefully. Everyone who could sense ki was keeping their eyes on the arena floor looking and sensing for signs of life and hints of what was about to happen.

"... He's gathering his ki," Goten mumbled astonished.

The concerned murmurs of the crowds were easy to ignore; there was an untamed ki bubbling at the centre of that hole, trying to burst free...

Uub's head popped up from the tiles, coughing and apparently unscathed. He didn't seem to be able to release himself from the arena which held him in place.

"... He's amazingly resilient..." Hairiyu murmured stunned. He was nothing like the human he was supposed to be, let alone being a human boy! If Goku's theory was correct then this boy would prove to be a formidable opponent indeed. He was the reincarnation of Buu...

Goku landed on the arena metres from his opponent, wandering over until he towered over him. He peered over Uub, teasing him a little with a "nya-hah!" The taunt worked and the ground shuddered as the boy's arms broke free, pulling himself from the small hole in the tiled floor. He quickly resumed the fist-fight with the Saiyan, quickly matching up to Goku's fast-paced punches and even starting to counter.

The scales soon tipped. Goku's leg came down heavily to the boy's head but instead of being struck down, Uub blocked it off with both hands shielding himself.

"That kid's learning how to fight while he's fighting," Vegeta realised.

"Just like Buu did," Hairiyu nodded worried. At this rate Goku would be in trouble. This was a match she had thought he'd win – ten years prior he had defeated the little Buu and had been training ever since – now she wasn't as sure as before. Uub's power was increasing with every second, Goku having to raise the power into his own attacks and speed to keep up with him. Punches were causing the arena to crack under the pressure; the crowds watching in pure awe as the two fighters dulled it out.

"S-Stop! You'll destroy the stadium and the ring!" Mr Satan cried terrified.

Goku was finding himself having to work harder to keep Uub at bay, slowly being pushed to defending himself rather than attacking as he had been previously. Finally Uub caught lucky. He slipped through Goku's defences and began to beat the Saiyan around the stomach. One heavy strike sent Goku flying and crashing across the tiled stage onto his face; Uub grabbing him by the ankles and spinning him around, tossing the Saiyan skywards. Uub sprang up after his opponent, passing him in seconds as he drew both hands back.

"This is for what you said earlier!" The boy screamed throwing his cupped fists clean into Goku's back. The Saiyan shot back to the floor, colliding with the arena and vanishing into a plume of dust which engulfed the stadium. A large and noticeable dent had been made in his ki signal.

"Gran'pa!" Pan cried rushing forwards into the stadium arena, her concern for her grandfather's wellbeing causing her to disregard the rules about not interfering in the match.

"It's too dangerous!" Mr Satan yelled as he dashed out and pinned his granddaughter between himself and the ground. He managed to keep Pan down and she kept two worried eyes on the arena waiting for her other grandfather to emerge.

"That looked like it hurt," Chuka frowned nervously.

Hairiyu watched cautiously waiting for Goku to emerge as the dust cleared; Uub landing on his feet safely, peering over the ledge of the hole. There was no doubt about it; Uub was definitely kid Buu reincarnated. His ki was wild and he had little control over it but he was powerful, very powerful. Hairiyu wondered how she'd fair up against him in a match... gulping and clearing the idea from her head when she remembered Goku was currently struggling! If Goku was finding it challenging then what hope did anyone else have against this kid?

'_Will he transform here?'_ She wondered. She was sure the memory of the strange, blonde-haired people present at the Cell Games seventeen years ago wasn't completely dead from people's minds. If he transformed, would people recognise him?

The ground began to shake under their feet, pushing a stunned Uub back a couple of steps. Fragments of the arena floor started to rise up as Goku's ki flared higher and higher. Uub watched wide-eyed as Goku broke free from the hole he'd been trapped in, jumping out and landing on two feet.

"He's alive!" Chuka smiled in relief, wandering over to Pan and Mr Satan.

Goku cricked his neck a couple of times, mumbling something to Uub before putting his guard up, Uub seemed to be surprised and at a loss for words judging by his initial lack of reaction. Hurriedly the boy put up his defences as the Saiyan leapt forward, the sparring continued. Through Uub's defences Goku struck throwing one leg down onto Uub's shoulder; the boy was sent slamming onto the tiled floor, dispersing some of the more fragile pieces as he landed.

Almost instantly he slowly rose to his feet, almost brushing off the hit as if it were nothing, alarming the many spectators capable of sensing energy. That strike had not been weak by any standards; Uub was growing stronger and learning how to fight. He was a dangerous opponent to be faced against.

"... Can grandpa win?" Pan asked worried, not really noticing Mr Satan had released her from his grasp.

"... I'm not sure, Pan..." Mr Satan frowned.

Uub's rage began to bubble over once again. The boy's ki started to rise dramatically, a ki aura suddenly engulfing his body as he screamed: "I won't lose!" A bolt of invisible ki suddenly burst free from his body, knocking Goku back off his feet and over towards the edge of the ring. Goku held tight to his footing, seemingly unaware Uub was charging straight for him-

Uub came to a nervous halt inches from the ring edge, a large grin on his face as he went to assess the situation and see his opponent's fate. Confusion quickly hit and he began to look around for Goku who was nowhere to be seen... or at least not by normal human eyes! His friends and majority of his family who could sense ki knew exactly where the Saiyan fighter was!

A couple of startled cries from the crowds alerted the others who hadn't spotted him.

Goku hovered metres above the arena. His clothes were a little tattered from Uub's kiai strike but he didn't seem to have taken any real damage. A smile was etched across his face as he looked down at his startled foe. Uub was still searching for him. His eyes looked skywards and his jaw dropped wide in shock. "You can fly?" Uub gasped astounded.

Hairiyu watched as Goku descended and landed upon the staging area. Her first assumption was soon squashed as Goku began to chat to Uub, the boy looking perplexed and bewildered by the conversation. He seemed to be conversing rather than continuing the fight. Had he come to a revelation or something that the others didn't know? His next action baffled her and several others further. To their shock Goku flew over towards the officials' viewing box where the others of their group were watching from!

"What's gran'pa doing?" Pan asked, rushing towards her grandfather despite Mr Satan's protests as once again he latched onto her in a bid to stop her.

"Let her go..." Goten ushered to the martial artist, "She'll be fine." Mr Satan digressed and let go of his granddaughter who rushed out a little ways over to the ring.

"... What's your dad doing?" Trunks asked turning to Goten who merely shrugged his shoulders.

Hairiyu listened as carefully as she could, trying to pick out what she could from the murmuring she could hear. It wasn't easy considering the interfering noises coming from everywhere else. If only Piccolo had entered the tournament, then he could have told them all what he was hearing because of his acute sense of hearing!

"...leaving to train Uub..." Goku was heard saying amidst the mutterings of the crowd.

Her eyes widened in surprise. Was that right? Was Goku planning to leave? No, that couldn't be it. There had to be another explanation for it... right?

Goku then made his way over to her and the others, feet touching the ground and ridding him of any possible victory in the tournament.

"What's going on?" Goten asked.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna be leaving to train Uub," Goku explained cheerfully.

"You're leaving?" Goten gasped.

"Gran'pa!" Pan rushed up towards her grandfather, a horrified look on her face. Goku lifted the teary-eyed girl up into his arms.

"Hey, what's wrong Pan?"

"Is it true what you said? Are you leaving?" Pan asked hiccupping slightly.

"Yeah," Goku nodded a little reluctant now he was face-to-face with his granddaughter, knowing what her temper was like. She played up just as he had expected.

"No! I don't want that!" Pan bawled loudly, throwing her arms around wildly before latching tightly to her grandfather. "I don't want you to go!"

"H-Hey, don't cry Pan, grandpa won't be gone forever," Goku patted her on the head. "I'll come visit."

"You promise?" Pan asked stifling another tear-induced wail.

"I promise," Goku nodded. "Now don't cry..."

The girl wiped away her tears and nodded.

Goku turned to Trunks, Goten and Hairiyu, "Listen, Uub's gonna need a teacher and I won't be around forever. It's up to you guys now to keep on training and to defend the Earth from anything that comes. Uub will look to you guys for support when the time comes."

Hairiyu nodded alongside her brother and Goten. She heeded Goku's words to his sobbing granddaughter; she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Pan who didn't know her grandfather as much as she thought she did. Knowing Goku it would be a long time before any of them would see him again; it had been five years since he'd even met up with all his friends! The harsh reality would break her heart but Goku was Goku, even with his flaws he was still the greatest fighter and protector she'd ever known. He'd been a beacon of light to her whenever things had gotten too tough and she'd felt like giving up; he'd always seemed to make everything feel alright in the end. His disappearance from their lives would be noticeable and he would be missed.

"Sorry Vegeta," Goku mumbled to his rival. "I know you wanted to fight me here at the Budokai; I'm sorry I dragged you out here for nothing."

"It's fine," Vegeta smirked. "There's no way either of us could fight to our full potential here. When we fight, we'll need a whole planet for an arena."

"Ain't that the truth?" Goku chuckled before turning, one hand up as he waved. "See ya."

The Saiyan levitated over towards Uub, the young boy climbing onto his back. In a flash Goku took off, Uub in tow, into the distance.

"Uh, Goku! Uub!" The announcer called baffled and left in the dark. "What about the match?"

"Bye bye gran'pa!" Pan waved, a baffled Chuka waving silently beside her. "Come visit soon!"

Hairiyu watched as Goku vanished off into the distance, her thoughts focusing on the family he was leaving. No doubt in the waiting room Chichi was having a fit or had fainted. Gohan had gained and lost his father many times before so was probably used to dealing with his mother's outbursts. Goku'd always done as he'd pleased during times of peace, always finding an excuse to do what he wanted. Leaving his family to train a boy was a new one!

"You think dad's really gonna be able to train Uub?" Goten asked.

"I guess..." Trunks nodded. "Weird how he's gone off to train him! Your dad's pretty strange Goten, even if it is to protect the Earth."

"... You're wrong... This isn't about protecting the Earth..." Vegeta responded with a smirk. "I know the truth... The real reason he's gone to fight. He's a Saiyan, it's in his blood."

Hairiyu looked at her father, then down at her own daughter and Pan. A smile appeared on her face; perhaps had an inkling of what her father was talking about. Was it really to train up the next generation... or was it the challenge of getting to fight with such a formidable opponent?

"Bye Goku," she whispered.

-x-

**Author's notes: **

**And so we reach the end of Saiyan Princess! There is a possible sequel to this in the works so stay tuned! Thank you so much to all of you who've read all or a few of the chapters, commented and provided me with feedback. I really appreciate it guys :) Thank you and hopefully more will be up soon, under a new story name!**


End file.
